A large body of water with a city in the background

Urban Community Campus

A PLACE BETWEEN DESTINATIONS.

Designed as a third place within the city, it provides an environment where people can choose to stay rather than simply pass through.

Site

Located between Alsancak's business district and its social waterfront, the project transforms an underutilized urban gap into a shared campus for work, learning, gathering, and everyday life.

Design Problem

Contemporary cities are often organized around two primary destinations: home and work.

While people move continuously between these environments, opportunities for informal gathering, collaboration, learning, and community engagement are increasingly limited.

Although the site sits between two active urban zones, it remains disconnected from both. Rather than supporting public life, it functions primarily as a corridor of movement.The central question became:

How can a transitional urban space become a destination in itself?

A Third Place

The project introduces a third place within the city — neither home nor workplace, but a shared environment where people can meet, work, learn, relax, and participate in community life.

Rather than assigning a single identity to the site, the proposal embraces flexibility, allowing different activities and user groups to coexist throughout the day.

A Campus of Connections

Instead of concentrating all functions within a single building, the project distributes programs across multiple structures connected through a network of outdoor spaces and pedestrian routes.

This campus-like arrangement encourages movement, interaction, and spontaneous encounters while maintaining a strong relationship between buildings and open space.

Concept

Design

The project is organized around three primary components:

Main Hub Building

The social and operational anchor of the campus.

Programs include:

Café
Library
Coworking Spaces
Quiet Study Areas
Community Hall
Maker Space

Designed for everyday use, the building supports study, work, social interaction, and community activities throughout the day.

Shared Core

A centrally located support building containing:

Information Desk
Reservation Desk
Shared Restrooms
Equipment Storage

By centralizing support functions, the surrounding spaces remain flexible and adaptable.

Reservable Urban Rooms

A series of flexible pavilions distributed throughout the site.

These spaces can accommodate:

Workshops
Meetings
Study Groups
Seminars
Exhibitions
Club Activities
Community Events
Networking Gatherings

Each pavilion is designed as an open and adaptable environment capable of supporting changing community needs over time.

Outdoor Gathering Spaces

At the center of the campus, an outdoor amphitheater creates a shared space for larger events and informal use.

Together with an integrated projection wall, the space supports:

Film Screenings
Public Talks
Presentations
Community Events
Cultural Programming

This allows activity to extend beyond the buildings and encourages participation throughout the day and evening.

Experience

The project is not designed as a building to pass through, but as a place to remain.

Whether attending a workshop, meeting friends for coffee, working remotely, participating in a community event, or simply spending time outdoors, visitors become part of a shared environment that supports everyday urban life.

By transforming an overlooked urban gap into a shared destination, the project creates opportunities for connection, participation, and everyday community life.