Lying on Turkey’s southern

Mediterranean coast, the ancient

city of Antalya has evolved into
a major tourist destination, with
its ever enterprising municipality
constantly thinking up new ways
to attract visitors. Conceived
as a slightly surreal Cook’s tour
through Turkish architectural
heritage, Minicity Model Park is 3

a landscaped park on Antalya’s

seafront containing dozens
of scale models of historic
buildings from different parts of
Turkey. Hagia Sophia, Haydarpasa
Station, Ataturk’s Tomb and the
cave dwellings of Cappadocia are
just some of the highlights, all
1 lovingly recreated at 1:25 scale. 3
What elevates this from 3 1
Legoland kitsch is Emre Arolat’s
associated exhibition building
that frames and defines the Distinguished by its tautly 1 entrance
2 colonnade
park and adds to the visitor composed form and assured 3 exhibition spaces
experience. Organised around handling of materials (stone,
2
an L-shaped plan, the long, low concrete, timber and glass), this
slung building forms a series of intelligently executed addition 3

terraces and slatted colonnades to Antalya’s seafront could well

along the edge of the park for have descended into theme
strolling and contemplation. By park pastiche, but instead the
contrast, on the seafront side, it architects keep a straight face
fragments and dissolves into a and their sobriety pays off. C. S.
tumbling topography of angular
shells clad in thin strips of stone. Architect
Emre Arolat Architects, Istanbul
These form a kind of abstract Project team
breakwater on the seafront Emre Arolat, Gezin Evren 3
and enclose a series of internal Photographs
Cemal Emden
exhibition spaces. Ramps bring
N

visitors in to the entrance and

colonnade level, from where
they can survey the park beyond
or explore the two levels of
exhibition galleries.

ground floor plan (scale 1:250)

TURKISH TOPOGRAPHY
1
The building wraps
around the park. On the
seafront side it cranks
and compresses into
an urban topography of
An arrestingly angular addition to Antalya’s seafront. angular forms.
2
Materials are handled
with finesse.
3
Visitor entrance.

COMMENDED
THEME PARK ,
ANTALYA , T URKEY
ARCHITECT
66 | 12 2 EMRE A ROLAT A RCHITECTS cross section 67 | 12