Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) has designed a one-of-a-kind new headquarters for the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) that is set to be built in the Filyos Port region of Zonguldak, Turkey. Scheduled to begin construction in June 2022, the building will be located on the banks of the Filyos river, which flows into the Black Sea. According to the architects, this river is a key point on the western side of the Black Sea coast, connecting the inland areas.
The facility, which is being built to provide workplaces for Turkish Petroleum A.O., will also serve as an observation point along the water’s edge. It is expected to be completed in time for its formal inauguration in the first quarter of 2023.
Design | Melike Altınışık Architects
According to the architects at Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA), the new headquarters for the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) is intended to be a threshold where the boundaries between land and sea, between past and future, and between history and technology, converge at the western edge of the Filyos Port. To achieve this, they plan to transform the current breakwater wall into a 110-meter wide and 30-meter-deep interface space with the new structure.
Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) team hopes that this interface zone will be a contemporary workplace that connects history, nature, and technology, where borders become spatial and connections between different locations become skewed. It will feature components such as a main conference room and observation spaces that support the region’s physical and behavioral geography in various ways.
The TPAO headquarters, which will be built on the breakwater wall, will have a total area of approximately 3270 square meters and three stories above ground. The current 4.5-meter tall breakwater wall has been increased to 9 meters, bringing the building’s maximum height to 17 meters.
Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) team also added that the ground floor will be designed as a communal space, featuring a main entrance, an information lobby, a kitchen, a technical area, and support volumes. The building’s central feature is a dedicated, ten-story high atrium that enables visual and circulative connections between all sections.
The main levels will be divided into office spaces, conference rooms, and observation areas. The first floor will include open office areas, a general manager’s room, a secretariat, a cafeteria, an archive, and support volumes.
The high-level conference room, which has a seating capacity of 50 people, is perched on top of the main atrium area as if it were a suspended building. On the second floor, in addition to the main conference room, there is a large lobby space and an observation terrace area.
From the observation terrace, which protrudes about 5 meters towards the Black Sea on the west side, visitors can get a 360-degree view of the port. They can see the ancient Filyos geography and the Black Sea in their entirety, as well as the daily operations of the Filyos Port in the east direction. Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) team hopes that the construction will be finished within this year.
Multiple Contextual Influences on Design Process
Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) team said that the new headquarters of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) is not only a unique observation place but also a vital part of the Filyos Port area in Zonguldak, Turkey. Located at the point where the Filyos river flows into the Black Sea, the headquarters is situated in an area known as Billaius in ancient times. This location is considered the most important point on the western side of the Black Sea coast, connecting the inland areas.
The TPAO headquarters is designed to serve as a high-level office space for the region and also function as an observation location on the side of the breakwater wall. The building, which is being designed by Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA), is scheduled to begin construction in June 2022 and is expected to be completed in time for its formal inauguration in the first quarter of 2023.
Reference
Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA). (2022). TPAO Headquarters | Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA). [Photograph]. (Heydar Aliyev Center: https://www.melikealtinisik.com/2-index/3234-tpao-headquarters/)
Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA). (2021). TPAO Headquarters. [online]. (Last updated 2021). Available at: https://www.melikealtinisik.com/2-index/3234-tpao-headquarters/) [Accessed 04 January 2023]
Designboom.com. (2022). TPAO Headquarters \ Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA). [online]. (Last updated 2022). Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/melike-altinisik-architects-maa-tpao-headquarters-zonguldak-turkey-12-21-2022/) [Accessed 04 January 2023]
