INTERREGNUM

Designed within Kayseri’s rich historical fabric, next to the Grand Mosque, the Kayseri City Institute project transcends being merely a building, conceived as a dynamic urban interface that intertwines the city’s past and future. Transforming the street from a purely physical passageway into a social ecosystem, this design defines a new, non-hierarchical third space for the city dweller, drawing civic flow directly into the central courtyard through a transparent ground layout and incorporating the city’s rhythm into the production areas. Bringing together traditional craft culture and the modern digital economy under one roof, the institute establishes an asymmetrical dialogue, read through two main blocks in terms of mass and programmatically. Located in the heart of the city, this significant design operates with a four-story left mass that serves as the building’s digital engine. This mass draws its power from the technological infrastructure and data center in the basement, while the incubation centers and startup offices spread across the upper floors are shaped around collaborative workspaces where young people develop their innovative ideas. The compact administrative unit located on the mezzanine of this left mass functions as a command center observing and directing the dynamic ecosystem below. On the other hand, the three-story right-hand mass has been meticulously designed as a meeting point for the experience of the bazaar merchants and the digital vision of young people. Practical knowledge filtered from the heavy production workshops in the basement is directly presented to the city through experience-oriented hybrid shops and open workshops on the ground floor, while flexible training rooms on the upper floor provide a theoretical infrastructure supporting continuous learning. Respectful of the historical texture but never compromising on its contemporary stance, this new building creates a strong and legible contrast with the heavy stonework of the Grand Mosque with its matte metal facade character, while its form, emphasized by the movements of the red masses, transfers the dynamism of the sketch spirit to the built environment. As a result, this architectural institute is not only a center that increases youth employment, but also a permanent and unique meeting place that seamlessly integrates digital competencies and commercial acumen, growing Kayseri’s social capital and offering a sustainable, innovative, and fully adaptable urban production model that spreads throughout the city.