REWEAVE

ReWeave is an innovative governance and collective interaction hub located at the heart of Kayseri’s historic city center, blending a deeply rooted commercial heritage with hand-woven carpet culture through the dynamics of the digital age. While preserving the city’s multi-layered history and intangible cultural heritage, the project aims to propose a sustainable model for urban resilience and social cohesion. Positioned precisely at the intersection of the historic sunken madrasah ruins and the Tomb of Melik Mehmet Gazi, the structure is conceived as a transparent civic core that fosters civic participation and localized production.

The spatial configuration of the project is driven by translating traditional carpet and kilim motifs from two-dimensional ornaments into three-dimensional generative design rules. Accordingly, the “Eli Belinde” motif, symbolizing women’s labor, is integrated into the floor texture of the women’s cooperative production zones. The “Finger” motif, representing unity and labor, dictates the layout of the weaving workshops. Meanwhile, the “Star” geometry, symbolizing happiness and vitality, delineates the rhythmic protrusions and recessions that provide volumetric and planar articulation to the library and youth gathering spaces. At the core of the structure, a non-hierarchical public agora—the “Civic Void”—seamlessly connects the street level to the underlying historical strata. Within this subterranean level, the project hosts a curated exhibition space around the historic madrasah ruins, creating a tangible dialogue where ancient archaeological remnants and next-generation digital carpet designs are showcased simultaneously.

The dialogue established with the historic environment manifests itself clearly within the massing and structural decisions. Inspired by the bastions of the historic Kayseri Castle, the fragmented roof morphology is mathematically oriented to optimize natural daylight quality within the interior space. This formal language allows zenithal sunlight to penetrate deep into the lower levels, projecting the intricate patterns of the suspended fabrics and dynamically weaving light and textile shadows throughout the building’s interior. Located on the second floor immediately at the top of the main circulation stairs, the “Hybrid Agora” functions as a multi-generational third place. It serves as a democratic citizen assembly and a conflict mediation platform, successfully bringing together local shopkeepers, youth, and children to cultivate shared urban consciousness