Emre Arolat Architecture was awarded the Future Project of the Year for the Küçükçekmece Djemevi in Turkey at this year's World Architecture Festival. 

The World Architecture Festival took place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on the 6 - 8 November 2024.

In a setting where marginalization has become a social instinct, the project was intended to serve as a gathering place that meets the legitimate spatial needs of the Alevi community. The project's foundation lies in the concept of "unity" that is essential to Cem rituals. 

The design served as an inspiring example for Turkey and the global architectural community, demonstrating architecture's ability to critically engage with cultural, religious, and political issues at the festival. 

By constructing a permeable structure that not only gives the Alevi community the space they require, but also bridges the divide by integrating a public plane that physically and aesthetically connects the two courtyards with the park on the upper level, the project seeks to engage society. 

In order to mimic the composition of traditional rural typologies, the main transportation artery influenced the design of one of the main communal areas, Hayat (Life), as well as the nearby Dining Hall, Reading Room, and Classrooms. 

The building is conceived as a collection of connected, fragmented structures that blend traditional values with modern community needs. It offers places for people to gather, such as a dining hall and places for worship.  

World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors took place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on the 6 - 8 November 2024. WAF is where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired. 

Besides the Future Project of the Year, the Darlington Public School in Australia, designed by fjcstudio won the World Building of the Year, the Pang Mei Noodle Bar LFS in China by Office AIO won the World Interior of the Year 2024. 

Every year, WAF hosts the world's biggest live-judged architecture awards programme. It celebrates design achievements through presentations by architects to high-profile delegates and international judging panels.

Site plan

The winners of these categories were selected by a Super Jury of luminaries of the global architecture industry – comprising Charu Kokate, Safdie Architects; David Basulto, ArchDaily; Emre Arolat, EAA – Emre Arolat Architecture; Fernanda Patiño, Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos; Henry Steed, ICN Design International Pte Ltd; Ian Ritchie, ritchie*studio; Islam El Mashtooly, OBMI; Kelley Cheng, The Press Room & StudioSML; Fred Holt, 3XN; Mario Cucinella, Mario Cucinella Architects; Mary Bowman, Gustafson Porter + Bowman; Nigel Coates, Nigel Coates Studio; Professor Rafiq Azam, SHATOTTO architecture for green living; Sanjay Puri, Sanjay Puri Architects; Sonali Rastogi, Morphogenesis; Yael Reisner, Objects Beautiful gallery; Zhengxu Zhou, Tsinghua University, Shancun Atelier.

Ground floor plan

Section

Emre Arolat Architecture was established in 2004 by Emre Arolat and Gonca Paşolar in Istanbul, as the continuation of Emre Arolat's architectural practices which he started at this parent's office, Arolat Architects, as an associate designer in 1987.

All renderings © Ivabox.

All drawings © EAA.

> via WAF 

concept Emre Arolat Architecture WAF World Architecture Festival