Mersin Sports Complex and Rehabilitation Center

Mersin is a medium sized city which is located on the South part of the Turkey, because of the location it is very hot and humid during the summer. Since 1950’s it has been a high rate of immigration to Mersin from near cities, therefore it grew rapidly and this resulted in lack of planning in the city. The city center had shifted towards West and old center once was the heart of the city economy, lost its value, this causes many people to lost their jobs and ‘Çamlıbel neighbourhood’ becomes almost an abondoned place. Lack of planning had caused many problems, such as the green in the city becoming not used scattered spaces and lacking any relationship with the city. Also the sea becoming only an image for the city. By this project it is aimed to achive the revitalization of the old center and activating the economical axis in the city.
In the place of this project, there was an old stadium, by revitalizating that area, the project embraces the old center connecting to the economical axis by pedestrianization of that street. The project aims to inroduce a new ‘healthy’ way of living to the city and bringing all kind of aged people together. The building program consists of 3 main areas, the physical rehbilitation center, sports complex and education center. By the program of the building the interaction between different uses and users is supplied.
On the education center, people are taught sustainable ways of livings, by organizing various types of workshops and classes. They are also taught about urban farming and they can plant seeds to the seasonal garden. Furhermore they can sell the harvests on the market place.
One of the importent things of the building is, it’s enviromental aspects.By the technologies that are used on the building, the maximum efficiency is aimed therefore the sustainability is achieved. The water collected by the columns is gathered in the storages under the columns and from that, they are lead to the greenhouse, where the water is cleaned and reused.
Also the wetlands cleanses the water in the river and direct it to the sea.