HAPPINESS / Nur Barış
The Children and Community Play Museum is envisioned as a new cultural and social hub for the Üngüt neighborhood, where traditional play culture is reinterpreted through contemporary spatial experiences. The museum brings together children, youth, and adults through shared memory, learning, and joyful interaction. Inspired by the spirit of solidarity that emerged after the earthquake, the design emphasizes healing, unity, and community connection.
The project establishes a strong physical and social link with its surroundings. A pedestrian ramp begins within the neighborhood, forming a playful spine that connects various public points and leads visitors toward the museum. Along this ramp, interactive play nodes are placed—small-scale urban playgrounds that provide safe and engaging spaces for children throughout the neighborhood. As the ramp reaches the building, it becomes part of the museum’s inner circulation, turning movement into a playful experience.
The museum journey begins with an exhibition space introducing the history of traditional and ancient games. This is followed by acoustically treated rooms, where children can actively experience these games. Visitors then pass through a digital illusion corridor, where light and motion create a vibrant and immersive atmosphere. This path leads to a performance hall with a flexible seating layout that easily transforms into a dynamic play space.
Further inside, visitors arrive at toy-making workshops designed for creativity and hands-on engagement. The route continues to a tabletop games library, offering a cozy and social environment to explore board games. The museum visit concludes at the museum shop, where visitors can purchase toys and games. A café–restaurant connected to the central courtyard offers a space to relax and socialize.
By integrating a circular, gathering-oriented form and a landscape of play, the Children and Community Play Museum proposes an inclusive, healing, and interactive urban experience rooted in memory, movement, and togetherness.
