From Ancient Agoras to Urban Squares: Rethinking Democratic Space

As a conceptual proposal for the future of İzmir’s civic heart, the project explores how public architecture can evolve within a dense urban fabric. Shaped by a blend of civic intent and spatial sensitivity, the building’s massing unfolds as a deliberate sequence that gradually opens toward the square. Semi-open public terraces ascend through the structure, echoing the city’s vertical rhythm and inviting movement across levels. The design maintains a modest, approachable profile along the street, gently rising to meet adjacent buildings—forming a calm yet dynamic silhouette along the seafront.

The design reimagines the square not by replacing it, but by layering new possibilities atop its familiar fabric. The iconic clock tower remains the site’s symbolic anchor, while its surrounding landscape is carefully preserved. The square now extends to integrate the governorate building and the mosque, drawing them into a unified civic experience. A green corridor along the coastal road is enhanced and protected, while water elements reappear and encircle the parliament hall—a poetic nod to the site’s historical relationship with the sea.