Sight Beyond Sight

It is a known fact that the ability to see is valuable for humanity. It is only possible to understand what we are looking at when we can see it. Looking is a conscious act, being able to see what we are looking at is a skill. We assume that we see things as they are. As a result of this, a blind society who doesn't see and doesn't think emerges. Today, humanity’s reckless approach to disasters shows us the blindness we live in.

WHAT BLINDS US?
The greatest cause of our conscientious blindness is fear. In the moment of fear, we have difficulty perceiving the source of danger and threat. Fear feeds fear and causes us to speculate about the dangers that await us. As a result, our human relations become unhealthy and the atmosphere of trust disappears. When fear arises, we perceive danger as terrifying and underestimate our ability to cope with it. This makes us dependent and enslaved to the hierarchy of fear.

FEAR & MEDIA
Authoritarian regimes are systems that manipulate and enslave people through fear to maintain order in emergency situations. Authoritarian regimes use the media as a tool to establish hegemony over society. Media plays an important role in shaping the perception of fear. We acquire information through the media rather than from personal experience. The way of this information is transmitted determines our perception of fear. The act of watching, increases the perception of danger and creates an exaggerated atmosphere of insecurity. Media creates a global community of complicity by controlling and destroying cognitive structures.

A CALL FOR OPENING EYES AGAINST THE CONSCIENTIOUS BLINDNESS
We watch injustices, oppression, people dying in wars and conflicts, women and children who have been sexually abused, on the television, in the newspapers, on the social media, and on the Internet. Why don’t we show a big reaction to prevent these negatives?

SCENARIO
Looking is not turning the eye to an event, it is an indispensable condition for seeing. This can only happen by observing, examining, interpreting and trying to understand. Everything that can be seen can be controlled. Developing the skills of reading and writing media messages can provide an environment where people can freely express themselves and discuss their ideas. This can create awareness in the society.

This project references the meanings of the Bosphorus Bridge, which unites and communicates the two continents. Besides, it invites humanity to unite, communicate and open their eyes against the conscientious blindness they are in. The structure stretches along the piers of the bridge to make the presence of authority felt. With the spiral circulation surrounding the bridge piers, visitors are in unlimited interaction with both the city and the interior. Along with the exploring spaces from the ground to the deck, visitors experience works of art and the media messages they contain as listeners, readers and viewers. The continuation of this experience ends with spaces where visitors can analyze and disassemble media messages and produce their own media messages. It is aimed to create an awareness cycle by making the visitor a media message and transferring this message to the whole city through digital facades.

PROJECT AREA: 10,000 m²

STRUCTURE:
Sight Beyond Sight has a double core along the piers of the bridge. The building, which is placed parasiticly on the bridge, is carried by steel consoles fixed to the core and bridge piers. Ramps and stairs forming the spiral circulation are added in these consoles and create a gallery in the interior. Steel truss system is used between floors.