INNO-YARD
The project is designed as a Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center located next to Camii Kebir and the historical madrasa ruins in Kayseri. The project emerges from the idea of reconnecting heritage, education, production, and community life within a contemporary urban environment. Historically, the site has always functioned as a place of gathering, learning, and social interaction through the presence of the mosque, madrasa, and surrounding public spaces. Instead of isolating the historical layers, the project aims to reinterpret them through a contemporary architectural language.
The conceptual foundation of the project is based on Georg Simmel’s “resident foreigner” philosophy. In this context, the building acts as a mediator between settled local users and new participants entering the urban and social environment. The project creates a space where students, entrepreneurs, artists, academics, local manufacturers, and visitors can coexist, collaborate, and exchange knowledge. This approach influenced both the spatial organization and the architectural form. The sharp, contemporary geometry intentionally contrasts with the historical surroundings, representing the “foreign” element within the urban fabric while still respecting the existing context through scale, openness, and public integration.
One of the main goals of the project is to create a bridge between universities, industry, and local communities. The building includes co-working spaces, incubation labs, prototype workshops, mentoring rooms, exhibition spaces, seminar areas, and social gathering zones. These functions support interdisciplinary collaboration and encourage innovation-based production. The project especially focuses on empowering young entrepreneurs, students, and creative communities by providing accessible spaces for education, experimentation, and interaction.
The architectural form is shaped through folded roof geometries and lightweight structural systems that create dynamic public spaces beneath and around the building. The roof is not only a sheltering element but also transforms into an urban void and a continuation of public circulation. Semi-open areas allow the building to interact with the street and historical ruins while maintaining visual permeability. The raised structure minimizes physical intervention on the archaeological layers and preserves visual continuity across the site.
The facade system consists of perforated metal mesh panels integrated with a steel structural frame. This semi-transparent layer filters sunlight, provides natural ventilation, and creates changing visual effects throughout the day. The mesh facade symbolizes the interaction between old and new, local and foreign, solid and transparent. Environmentally, the project responds to Kayseri’s climate through shaded outdoor spaces, passive ventilation strategies, and lightweight materials.
Overall, the project proposes a contemporary public platform where heritage and innovation coexist. By transforming a historically meaningful urban site into a collaborative social hub, the design aims to create a new learning landscape that connects culture, production, education, and community life.
