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THE SEED CONCERT HALL
Emirgan/İstanbul︎ 2009 ︎ Construction Area: 2.000 m2 ︎ Site: 1.500 m2 ︎ Cultural ︎ Ahmet Korfalı, Nevzat Sayın, Sinem Cerrah, Umut Durmuş



As the most concrete division between the continents of Asia and Europe, the Bosphorus should be preserved with its fabric and boats of various sizes passing through it. In fact, its immediate surroundings need a bit of cleaning and emptying. Therefore, any building to be constructed in this area should be calm, recessed, and almost invisible. When we began working on a ‘concert hall for a chamber orchestra’ within the museum campus along the Bosphorus, we were convinced that we had to design an invisible structure. It had to remain concealed so long as it was not mentioned, pointed at, or frequented. So, we decided to go underground… We took the risk of being squeezed between the roots of precious trees, the foundations of the old house, and the terrace and walls we wanted to preserve in their current state.  The space we were trying to define was a place we could not at all foresee unless we stepped inside it.  As we were digging out the soil and the rocks, the almost entirely steel building was being manufactured at a workshop. By the time production ended, the space was ready. We had used double-time and shortened the date of delivery. A door on the old stone wall you encounter upon entering the campus provides access to the lower foyer; the upper foyer is a long and slender space paralleling the Bosphorus. It is a ‘place’ designed to reveal the Bosphorus rather than itself. The open terrace in front of you provides all the clues about your whereabouts.





As you enter through the yellow door, the shiny, multifaceted, concave ellipsoid reflects all the colors it receives with unexpected surprise and exaggeration.  Yet, there is nothing more than what is needed inside. The inner shell comprised of acoustic panels, the floor that can change its slope and become flat, a truss to hang all the necessary equipment from, and a stage that can be enlarged depending on the size of the orchestra all come together to present a chamber orchestra hall with a seating capacity of 300. The trees, the old house, the terrace, and the walls are still intact. We pass them by, step away from the outer world to reach the space of music, and at the end of the journey, reach the seats, each of them unique, in a shiny, black void. As the lights are dimmed and the concert begins, there is nothing left but music, the musicians, and their reflections.