Banaz Civic Centre and Council Offices, Turkey

Banaz is located in the Aegean region of Turkey and has a population of ca. 25,000. Banaz’s current council building was built in the 60s and does not respond to its organisational need and the growing population.

Hans Haenlein Architects were asked to design up-to-date facilities for a new Civic Centre. The brief also included additional cultural facilities as well as some rentable office and shop spaces for extra income.

The proposed design aims to respond to a site within a very tight urban area. The proposed U-shaped building creates spaces around a landscaped urban square. An office wing is located to the west, a cultural wing to the east and the council facilities to the south. The level difference to the north and the south allow creating a basement for most needed storage and archive spaces as well as underground parking. The proposal intends to include traditional Turkish architectural features into the design.

Accessibility and Sustainability are key design principles of the proposal. By integrating ecological building principles into the project from the onset, the building can benefit in many ways. Thermal comfort, natural lighting, energy efficiency (and therefore cost), can be improved, while creating healthy working conditions.

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