EDITOR’ S CHOICE
The canopy, the most defining architectural element of the project, acts both as a shelter from the city’ s bustle and as a permeable structure that enriches public life
was envisioned as an accessible and inclusive public space at the heart of the city. The project includes a multipurpose hall, fitness and sports facilities, a library, kiosk, cafe, retail units, market and fair areas, educational workshops and classrooms, an open air cinema, children’ s playgrounds, and a parking structure for 366 vehicles.
In Kocaeli, a city shaped by productive and industrial dynamics, the project addresses the lack of high quality public spaces and the need for a central civic focal point capable of gathering urban energy.
After the relocation of the former market, the area was used as a parking lot. Through the vision of Ozer Urger Architecture, it has now been redefined, opening a new chapter in the city’ s collective memory.
Located in the city center and surrounded by key public buildings with direct connections to public transportation, the square becomes a democratic ground accessible to all. Ozer Urger Architecture reinterprets the square not as an empty void but as an urban generator, a space that fuels social interaction, cultural continuity, and everyday activity.
Redefining the idea of a square for everyone, the design brings together the concepts of a city stage,
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