Museum Gazhane Museum & Library Buildings

Hasanpaşa Gasworks, which was established in 1892 to meet the energy needs of the Anatolian side of Istanbul, is a gas factory where coal is burned to produce gas that is used for heating and lighting. As a factory complex it was abandoned in 1993 and remembered as an industrial heritage building in the city for a long time.

In the planning process, the functions of the buildings during their factory period and their relations with each other, restoration decisions and the demands of today's needs were the determining criteria. In this context, museum buildings, temporary exhibition area, science center and workshop, bookstore and museum store buildings were designed together to create an activity island and redefined as “Museum Buildings” in the scheme. On the other hand, the library, co-working spaces and cafe were refunctioned together as “Library Buildings”. With the re-functioning of museum and exhibition buildings, science center and workshop, library, bookstore, cafe and information buildings, the exhibition design of climate museum, interior and furniture designs of buildings were implemented.

While working on buildings, each of which had actually the production machines of factory, it was aimed to produce flexible and transformable spaces while trying to maintain the overall integrity and aesthetics of the existing buildings with the concerns of touching the existing buildings as minimum as possible. Structural elements, machines, machine plinths and all extant parts from the factory period inside the buildings were used as a design tool. Along with these priorities, the use of natural and recyclable materials was prioritized, and marine plywood (birch) was used as the main material. The interior design of the industrial heritage buildings were planned in a way that allows flexible use, socializing, while opening up space for users from all ages and profiles. The use of public space was supported with open event and exhibition spaces. With all these decisions, Gazhane was aimed to be part of urban space as a holistic area.

Construction Area: 2000 m2
Client: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality & Gürsoy Grup Restoration
Contractor: Gürsoy Grup Restoration
Subcontractor: The Mob, Karınca Reklam, ADF Engineering

Design Team: Dicle B. Özdemir, Kadir Uyanık
Project Team: Damla Çolakoğlu, Tuncay Güner, Cansu Özay