Lucien Arkas Art Gallery is a cultural building located in Kekliktepe, at 4 kilometers from the center of the city of Urla, this building is placed in low-density residential area and in a natural rural environment.
Presenting the special art and the book collection of Lucien Arkas, the gallery also displays many views across the landscape. It will present a special spatial experimentation in nature through an outstanding architectural program based on art.
The program includes exhibition areas, a library, service areas, sculpture courtyard, colonnade platform and gardens. There are two main factors in the design of the building: nature and architectural program. The building was placed in an area without any trees in wooded natural area. So, the location, direction, and spatial organization were determined according to natural conditions of the area.
The architectural expression of the building comes from the semi-open area consisting the arcade, platform, the columns, and the landscape. The colonnade semi-open area as an in-between space, has many roles in the building. It controls the daylight, ensures public usage for different additional activities, decreases the mass effect of the building in nature, and provides the relation between the building and open greenery area. This spatial atmosphere was highlighted by the use of limestone covering material in the building. Two main different architectural programs including exhibition spaces, and library are required in the gallery. So, the building is divided the two different simple masses corresponding two different architectural programs (exhibition space and library), and these two parts are combined through a vigorous colonnade semi-open area. These two parts are also combined in the basement level. A huge impact of natural daylight is very crucial for the design. The skylights designed for the exhibition space and the library, the linear windows, the rhythmic use of columns, the hollows in the roof of the arcade ensures the use of natural daylight artificially.
The demountable construction technology used in the building is also excellence. The structural system comprises precast structural components including reinforced concrete wall panels, columns and slab panels; steel columns and beams, this technology provides speedy and peaceful construction process, and also minimum damage in nature through the construction work.