AUTARCHIA / GÜLŞAH YEŞİLDAL

This project proposes a thematic ecology museum and experiential learning centre located along the Dolmabahçe waterfront in Istanbul, aiming to create a “balance zone” between the city’s dense urban fabric and the natural ecology of the Bosphorus. Contemporary challenges such as the fast-paced urban lifestyle, climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and the growing need for public space form the starting point of the design. Accordingly, the project offers an educational and spatial experience that does not simply display nature but immerses visitors within it making climate conditions physically perceivable and raising environmental awareness through interaction. 

The building is designed as an extension of the coastal promenade and urban circulation networks. One of the strongest elements of the proposal is the continuous ramp-based circulation system, which guides users through the building while layering the spatial experience. This uninterrupted route supports both accessibility and an educational narrative; visitors gradually move through different climate zones in a sequential journey. Through controlled indoor climate simulation, thematic sections such as equatorial, tundra, desert, and oceanic environments allow visitors to realistically experience varying vegetation types, humidity levels, light conditions, and temperatures. 

The museum program is supported by exhibition galleries, interactive learning spaces, observation terraces, research and workshop units, and public event areas. The architectural form is shaped through key site forces: connection axes, prevailing wind direction, and solar impact. These environmental parameters influence the massing process, resulting in a layered and fragmented organic form that directly responds to its surroundings. 

Ultimately, the project aims to redefine the relationship between nature and the city in Istanbul, offering a sustainable, educational, and publicly accessible ecological hub that brings a new sense of environmental consciousness and urban vitality to the waterfront.