The subject of this international competition was not only the television tower itself, but also the social and cultural complex attached to it, thanks to which the engineering structure should become a visited tourist site. The world's leading architectural firms took part in the international competition, which, by the way, became the first for Turkey since 1997. In particular, Sou Fujimoto Architects, Snøhetta, Ian Ritchie Architects, FR-EE / Fernando Romero Enterprise reached the final.
Most of the participants proposed a traditional composition in the form of a high-rise dominant with a social and cultural center at its base. Thus, Fernando Romero's project, which received a special mention from the jury, interpreted the TV tower in the form of a spring, the rings of which are displaced relative to the central axis in one direction or the other. And So Fujimoto, who participated in this competition together with Aecom, decided the tower in the form of a "stairway to heaven", which is also partially twisted into a spiral.
The third place winner Amanda Leavit and her bureau AL_A designed the TV tower in the form of a wide metal ribbon, which describes a spectacular loop in the air and goes into a rectangular stylobate at its ends. On the inner side of the tape, the architects run several panoramic elevators, and at the base of the futuristic complex they concentrate all the necessary social and technical functions.
"Silver" of the competition was won by Snøhetta (together with Özer / Ürger Architects and Battle Mccarthy), whose TV tower is a laconic translucent pillar that seems to dissolve into the sky. The community center in this project is buried in the ground in such a way that only a circular walking route appears on the surface.
In principle, a similar idea formed the basis of the winner's project. The IND [Inter. National. Design] + Powerhouse Company + ABT consortium interpreted the combination of the two main functions of the complex - engineering and public and entertainment - in almost the same way: the TV tower is a vertical, and the space for tourists develops horizontally around it. But if the Norwegians have these two elements - the pillar and the "halo" - visually not connected in any way, then in the project that won the first place, the tower and the loop of the walking route are a single whole.
The architects "split" the base of the tower into two smoothly curved supports, which are then transformed into a tape that describes a wide loop above the ground. The diameter of the latter allows you to make the walking route protected from radiation, which is inevitable during the operation of the TV tower, and the variable height provides an incredible variety of views on Canakkale and the surrounding forests. At the opposite end of the loop from the tower, the architects place a community center. This solution allows minimizing the building area and thereby preserving most of the trees growing on the hill where this complex is planned to be erected.
The tower is planned to be built by 2015. The opening of the building will be timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, which is so significant for Turkey, the key battle of the First World War.
