DENİZLİ GOVERNORSHIP BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT AND URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION FOR THE NEARBY AREA

The project aims to create a contemporary architectural identity within the context of the Denizli city center, integrating new structures with the existing historical and cultural fabric while preserving the area’s natural and cultural values. The main design approach is to revitalize existing buildings through adaptive reuse and transform the site into a 24-hour active civic hub combining administrative, cultural, and social functions.

Design Principles
1. To preserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage,
2. To reinterpret and carry forward historically significant buildings through new functions,
3. To design the city park as a transition and recreation zone that also serves as a cultural and artistic venue (museum, exhibition, concert, etc.) integrated with the urban fabric,
4. To activate the site as a continuously living urban center by introducing diverse public functions.

Accordingly, the project creates a new administrative, cultural, and artistic center for the city by redefining existing structures and introducing new architectural elements within a cohesive open-space organization.

Adaptive Reuse of Existing Buildings
• The Stone Workshop buildings of the Vocational High School have been preserved and renovated, transforming into an Exhibition and Seminar Center, complemented by a multi-purpose hall.
• The existing Governorship Building has been repurposed as an NGO Center, while the monument and square have been preserved as symbolic elements.
• The Girls’ Vocational High School has been maintained as part of the city’s architectural memory and reinterpreted as a section of the Archaeology Museum.

Urban Layout and Spatial Organization
• All existing trees were preserved, and new plantings were proposed to strengthen the green continuity.
• Minimal intervention to the topography was ensured.
• A ceremonial plaza was created at the intersection of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Paşa Boulevard and Kayalık Street.
• An open-air concert and cinema area was designed across from Atatürk Park, linking the Governorship Building and Exhibition–Seminar Center (Stone Workshop) through a unified public space.
• Enver Paşa Boulevard was pedestrianized, and a new Atatürk Museum Square was established, reinforcing the urban continuity between Kaleiçi, Bayramyeri Square, and the project site.

New Architectural Proposals
• The New Governorship Building was positioned on the northeastern edge of the site and designed around a central courtyard. Administrative offices, the governor’s units, and a conference hall are arranged around this courtyard. The building expresses a low-rise, calm, yet dignified architectural language.
• The New Archaeology Museum includes temporary and permanent exhibition halls, a conference hall, and open-air exhibition spaces.
• The Cultural Center, comprising exhibition areas and a multi-purpose hall, was integrated within the urban park to strengthen the public realm.

Conclusion
The project proposes a modern urban environment that harmoniously blends architecture, culture, and nature, preserving Denizli’s historical identity while projecting it into the future. It establishes a sustainable civic core where administrative, cultural, and public functions coexist within a balanced and contemporary architectural framework

Date / 2009

Client / Province of Denizli

Location / Denizli

Team / Köksal Aksoy (M. Architect)
Bülent Çetin (M. Architect)
Hakan Özbek (M. Architect)