GEBZE 23 APRIL SCIENCE AND ART CENTER
Gebze/Kocaeli︎ 2021 ︎ Construction Area: 5.735 m2 ︎ Site: 6.423 m2 ︎ Education ︎ Berin Erikçi, Berkayhan Soybora, Metehan Kahya, Nevzat Sayın












There is a very 'simple' rule for becoming a student at this school: having an IQ of 160 or above..!
Students from various age groups, who continue their regular education in their own schools, come to Bilsem with these qualifications. They can work on research projects outside the regular learning hours of their own schools. In our initial interviews, they were described as children with rich inner worlds but weak skills in creating a common world. Perhaps for this reason, a large amphitheater welcomes everyone entering the school as a spatial expression of togetherness. The open space and cafeteria, on the top floor of the amphitheater, open onto the south garden, and the library extends into the amphitheater on the gallery floor in that direction. The lowest level in the north serves as a playful distribution area, extending from the entrance hall, and becomes a stage when needed. Everyone entering the school (in)voluntarily steps onto the stage, whether they want to or not. When these two levels are connected by stairs, they transform into a space between an oblique 'agora' and an ‘odeon', rising towards the south and forming a common space. It connects to the south garden and is illuminated both from the south windows and roof skylights. This is a common space; a 'place' for working, talking, performing, watching, and being watched.
The intensive working units of the teams, such as classrooms, laboratories, and workshops, are located on the north facade surrounding the agora like a curved 'stoa', where daylight remains constant throughout the day. Private, small, enclosed workspaces are located in the north, as it is easier and cheaper to heat a building than to cool it, and less daylight is needed for spaces requiring the use of screens and projectors. The horizontal configuration of the building is determined by the plot boundaries, and the vertical configuration is influenced by the slope of the land. Perhaps for this reason, in addition to the program-based space organization, the mass in the composition of the plan and section, formed by following horizontal and vertical directions, fits the place very well.
We believe that we have succeeded in creating an extraordinary school for extraordinary students, as evidenced by the TEVITÖL students, who also have an IQ of 160+, expressing their desire for a school like this at the opening ceremony.


