1. The site, the Context and the Landmark
As noted in the regulations for the urban design competition for the Ankara City Hall and Social-Commercial Facilities, the site for the project is located on the western edge of the city, at a central point with high accessibility. The four main traffic arteries surrounding the site, together with the railroad that passes through it provide significant criteria for the design.

However, the existing state of the site presents a rather neglected, composite and unexceptional setting with various buildings dating from different periods scattered around it. It stands as yet another one of the many commonplace urban settings devoid of civic norms; examples that have become so numerous and ordinary that they are hardly being questioned anymore. Consequently, the "Architectural Agenda of Turkey" is more than often defined in terms of single buildings and their immediate surroundings.

As pointed out by the competition jury, the site is large enough to accommodate significant and proficient urban interventions. This potential has been evaluated as a basic criterion in the design of both the urban configuration of the site, and the design of the individual buildings. As the size and location of the site present an exceptional "opportunity" for the designer. Sadly enough, and a large number of similar opportunities have been missed in the hands of speculative, inexperienced and often oblivious decisions.

In light of these circumstances, the first objective of the design was to define the potential of the site and to identify a distinct "norm" by which it would be distinguished form both nearby and distant perspectives. In establishing the configuration of the building/s and the "public realm" that they would define, the City Hall and Social-Commercial Facilities were planned to create linear strips that would help define the public areas of the site.

The approximately 100.000 m2 large area that lies beyond these boundaries has been left as an open ground that will function as an urban park. Being free of buildings, this outdoor area may thus function as a social "charged" (stimulating) space in the later phases of the project. As regards the inner relations within the site itself, this urban park defines the borders of the Hippodrome Avenue on one direction, and those of the railroad tracks and the Celal Bayar Avenue on the other.

2. A few notes on "our past civilisation", "inspiration", "symbolism", "Ankara", and "overhauling mediocrity"
An excerpt from the competition brief, written by the Secretary General to the Mayor of Ankara Atilla Koc, reads:

"The Greater Municipality of Ankara has launched a competition for the design of the City Hall - a building in which democratic local decisions concerning the development of the Republic's capital city Ankara will be made, and where these decisions will be turned into urban services for the city dwellers. We invite architects to draw their inspirations from the values of Anatolian civilisations and our own past civilisations."

Another passage from the brief reads:
"…the design of a City Hall that will integrate with the city at large, help promote the public's relationship with the local authority, and present an urban symbol that takes full advantage of advanced construction techniques."

At first sight, these remarks seem to represent nothing except good will. However, it is the notions behind such well-intended remarks that seem to have barred the way for the recent architectural context in Turkey. As such, drawing inspirations from the civilisations of the past has become an almost perfect synonym of "pasting" new buildings with traditional elements or designing new buildings in the guise of old ones. Disregarding the fact that instead of "imitating the past" one should try to "learn from it"; the country's architectural context seems to have promoted, and furthermore repeatedly awarded, such approaches of mimicry.

"The creation of an architectural symbol" presents yet another problem. We seem to be witnessing a period in which the relatively ingenuous "symbolism" of the nineteenth century is becoming more and more decadent, and in which the "dangerous countenance" of the transcendental world is more apparent than ever.

Given these considerations, the design of the project was carried out with deliberate refrain from "the pastiche of traditional building components", while full advantage of the teachings of "convention" in both the urban and architectural scale.

Hence, the 608 metre long peripheral block of the City Hall stands as an apparent example of a rather rational and clear-cut design, whereby the "composed" architectural approach suffices to overhaul "mediocrity" and presents what may even be defined as a radical position. Alongside this approach, lessons drawn from traditional architecture, such as "abidance to urban codes", "climatic and topographic awareness", "interior-exterior relationships", "the enrichment of inner spaces with voids", "heat and solar control", "transitional spaces", and "selection of appropriate building materials" have also been considered in the design.

3. Criteria for the design of the City Hall - function and environmental control:
The design of the City Hall is based on a system of structural axes of 8x8 metre dimension. This simple system has enabled the rational arrangement of the building's various functional units; while the modular system - the "grid"- has also provided maximum flexibility in planning. The use of columns instead of sheer walls is also a result of the concern to increase flexibility. This almost "anonymous" system has been juxtaposed upon another grid according to which the outer surfaces have been designed, thus aiming to present a façade design that is adaptable to future modifications of the building. As such, even when an interior wall is repositioned the place and number of the "panels" on exterior surfaces may also be modified; thus the system accommodates spatial alterations without disturbing the general design and aesthetics of the façades. The inner façades, overlooking the 12 metre wide linear atrium located at the centre of the building, have been designed on the same principle. The atrium, on the other hand, functions as an "inner street" that connects the building's interior spaces; while also providing a well-lit "transition space" that is seldom found in buildings of this kind. The atrium thus provides visual continuity within inner spaces, and furthermore maximises the access of sunlight into working spaces, thus optimising the energy costs of the building.

The structural grid also enables the application of pre-construction, pre-fabrication systems in the building's construction. Hence, construction technologies that are most often used in industrial buildings may be introduced into a public office building.

The entire building has a uniform outer façade system. Accordingly, even special parts of the buildings such as the mayor's room, which is above all an office unit, has been functionally and hierarchically located, yet integrated into the building whole so that it draws no special attention by way of its façade treatment. This visual integration of spatial/functional units is quite unlike conventional solutions of public buildings.

The assembly hall is located on the first floor of this section, with direct access to the urban park. This spatial organisation may also be interpreted as an architectural counterpart of a "lucid- transparent administrative system. "

While the City Hall is perceived as a monolithic block on the urban scale, its interior arrangement is subdivided into four buildings, housing the Greater Municipality of Ankara; the Mayor's quarters, Head Offices for EGO (electricity-gas-buses) and offices for the Municipality's business companies. The linear plan system enables these four buildings to be interconnected on respective floor levels. The planning of each individual unit facilitates the interaction of corresponding offices, and also conforms to the spatial relationships specified in the competition regulations.

A transparent second façade - a see-through layer- has been placed along the Hipodrom Avenue. This layer functions as a windshield protecting the building from dominant winds, and also contributes to the architectural language of the design. With this layer, the building is transformed into a giant "sign board."

This "screen façade", which can easily be constructed with present day technology, has a giant monitor on which a constantly changing series of moving images and digital messages may be displayed. Thus, both the façade and the building itself acquire a socio-cultural function, and transforms into a dynamic signboard. As the office spaces close their lights after working hours, the changing lights on the second façade will offer an appealing urban "wall".

This translucent net also provides the offices overlooking the Hipodrom Avenue with a variety of views. The second façade, placed at a 3 metre distance to the main façade of the building, stands apart from traditional notions of building façades and walls by way of the natural trees and "suspended gardens" located at various points. The facades that overlook the urban park also have horizontal sun breaking elements that are detached from the main body of the building.

4. Social-Commercial Facilities:

The total construction area of the site amounts to 520.000m2. This leaves a total area of 380.000m2 for the Social-Commercial Facilities required by the competition brief.

Indicating that these facilities are to be let by the Municipality, the competition had also asked the participants to forward suggestions regarding the management of these units. However, the selection of management models lie beyond the professional borders of an architect, and must rely on serious feasibility surveys and decisions made at a macro level. The role of the designer, on the other hand, consists of proposing an "urban role", presented from a certain "position". Hence, this project is a proposal as to the "location" and "maximum construction height" of the building - a proposal that may alternatively be both very decisive and very flexible. The location and boundaries of the buildings are drawn out; while decisions concerning their interior arrangement and architectural forms are deliberately tentative. The main proposition of the project is that the ground floors of the buildings to be reserved for social activity spaces - such as a cinema, shopping units, a museum, restaurants and etc - that may be used in relation to the urban park; and the upper floors to be used for such functions as offices or a hotel. In this way, the building and the urban park will be able to house lively activities at night as well as during the day. Alternative solutions for the transport, entrances and parking services concerning this "scenario" have been presented on the site plan. Photographs of working models are also presented in order to define the stages and development of ideas that shaped the project.