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of Mocius, Fatih Mosque, and Yavuz Selim Mosque to the southeast,
and Mihrimah Sultan Mosque to the northwest. These seven hills
represent the history of old Constantinople, surrounded by historic
city walls. Views of the dancing domes of the seven hills, and the
iconic Galata Tower, provide a silhouette of the city over the Golden
Horn.

Alper Aytac states: “The Golden Horn Library was conceived as
almost a “Turkish Flying Carpet”, woven by the culture and the
context”. The profiles of the monuments and the axiality of the seven
hills pointing towards the Galata Tower form the main roofscape,
with the three closest hills inspiring the roofscape housing the
functions of the library and learning centre. The remaining hills, set
further away, provide a smooth transition between the building and
the landscape, functioning as a sort of plinth of public space between
interior and exterior.

Sectionally and proportionally, the nearby Azapkapi Sokullu Mosque,
designed by the great architect, Sinan, sets the precedent, with
its elevated prayer hall almost floating over the city to protect the
interior against bustling city noise. This strategy was duplicated in
order to insulate the library and learning centre from noise. Beneath,
the ground level houses the busier and noisier activities of the
auditorium, a spiraling children’s library, and a restaurant.

Alper Aytac states: ”The Golden Horn Library is a beacon of
knowledge in the city of Istanbul, and it aims to be an instrument of
connectivity between symbols of the city on both sides of the Golden
Horn. It radiates energy that is injected into the city, rather than
funneling energy out of the city for itself.” dw

Data Sheet
• Principal Architect: Alper Aytac
• Project Team: Hanse Yalcinkaya, Liying Wang
• Landscape: Gulsen Aytac

www.aytacarchitects.com

Model view
Photo credit: Orhan Kolukisa

dw • Issue 247 91