Cultural & Creative center

Final international university

Idea projektu

The idea of this project begins with a question: What role should culture and education play in the life of a city? In many places, culture is preserved as memory — locked in museums or archived in books. But a living culture is not something to be stored. It must evolve, inspire, and engage the people of its time.

Kyrenia, with its rich heritage and Mediterranean soul, deserves a space where the past can meet the present — where tradition is not frozen but reinterpreted. This project responds to that need by proposing a Cultural & Creative Institute at the city’s core — a place that is both school and stage, sanctuary and square. It is not only for students, but for everyone. A shared ground where education becomes a spark, and culture becomes a shared language.

In a time where cities grow louder but more distant, this project seeks to create a new rhythm — where learning is public, and public life is meaningful. The goal is simple, yet essential: to give the city a place where people can meet, learn, create, and remember who they are — together.

Popis projektu

This project consists of two main parts: the Learning Zone and the Cultural Zone, unified within one architectural gesture that rises gently from the ground. Located in the heart of Kyrenia, the project is envisioned as a public educational and cultural platform — where creativity, memory, and community come together.

The Learning Zone includes studios, workshops, media labs, classrooms, and a library. These spaces are designed to support focused artistic education, offering both silence for reflection and flexibility for creation.

The Cultural Zone opens toward the public, featuring exhibition galleries, a black box theater, an outdoor amphitheater, and multi-purpose halls. These areas host performances, discussions, and events — making art and culture accessible to everyone.

Between these zones, the design weaves shared courtyards, social terraces, and open-air galleries to invite movement, dialogue, and discovery. The architecture is not just functional; it is symbolic — shaped to express openness, connection, and cultural continuity. The whole structure is conceived as a landscape of creativity — one that belongs to the city and evolves with its people.

Technické informace

The construction of the building uses a reinforced concrete substructure for stability and durability, especially in the basement and underground levels. The superstructure is designed with a steel space frame system, allowing for large spans and fluid architectural forms, especially above the auditorium and exhibition spaces.

The roof features a combination of glass envelope panels and active shading systems to control natural light and heat gain, in response to the Mediterranean climate of Kyrenia. This ensures both daylight comfort and energy efficiency.

The building is partially embedded into the terrain, creating a smooth transition between the ground and the structure. This design approach minimizes the visual impact and enhances thermal insulation. The structure also integrates ventilation gaps and retaining walls to ensure proper airflow and structural integrity in below-ground spaces.

Materials are chosen with both aesthetics and performance in mind — including local stone, textured concrete, high-performance glass, and perforated metal elements — creating a modern yet context-sensitive identity.