Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, Bursa Branch Office Building

The Bursa Branch Office Building of the Central Bank (building area 5.500 m2, site area 3.600 m2) is located in the Osmangazi District, west of town. The north façade faces the expressway from Ankara to Izmir, the south façade, a pedestrian street which connects the former main bus station, now a shopping mall, to the Osmangazi subway station located in front of the building. Due to its functions, the central bank has very high security standards, but also has to be accessible and inviting for clients. Consistent with these requirements, the building is designed like a fortress on the outside, a hard shell acting like an 'armor', made out of ventilated glassfiber reinforced concrete panels in fairfaced concrete color, masking the light and airy atmosphere inside created by means of alternating atriums on different levels and partial glass roofs.

These atriums also account for the exciting diversity in depth and light at different locations in the building. The armor is punctured at certain locations in order hint at the diversity and openness inside. The 4,5m difference in elevation between the expressway and the pedestrian zone is designed as a sloping base for the building, used to separate the cash traffic from the client traffic. This base is executed in dark colored natural stone which is also used on the ground level floor, separating the base from the functions above entirely. All high security functions are located within this base; a vault in the figurative sense. This base-platform also defines the pedestrian entrance in form of a square on the south. The sloped platform on the north raises the perception building from the express way while cutting down on the traffic noise. The two upper floors contain administration and office spaces, also making use of the beautiful view towards the valley.