Lifestyle 17

Canakkale Business and Lifestyle Center - Urban Integration and Lifestyle Hub

Urban Context and Historical Significance

Located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, this coastal city has developed along a strait that has shaped regional history for thousands of years. With over 6,000 years of urban continuity, the city reflects diverse layers of culture, memory, and architecture.

The project area is situated just northwest of the historic city center, bordered by key urban roads and close to the main harbor. Surrounded by active public parks, boulevards, and the city’s main square, the site holds both strategic and symbolic significance in the urban fabric.

Design Philosophy: A Place of Memory and Movement

The proposal reimagines a familiar but outdated city block that currently houses a commercial center. While the existing structure lacks functional adequacy, it retains spatial memories - such as arcades and pedestrian passages - that have shaped the local identity over the past 40 years.

These architectural traces are not erased but reinterpreted in the new design. The result is a project that speaks both to the past memory and the future potential of the site.

Macro-Scale Urban Strategies

The project introduces a pedestrian-focused spine that links the main city square to the coastal park and a major urban landmark. This axis is extended through the site, integrating it with the surrounding neighborhoods and green corridors.

To enhance walkability and public space continuity, a portion of an existing street is pedestrianized. New urban flows are introduced from nearby parks to activate the site from multiple directions, transforming it into a new civic focal point.

Street Life and Public Layers

Two new pedestrian axes define the site’s public character:

• Coastal Street: Connects the harbor and public square with strong urban flow.
• Park Street: Brings pedestrian access from a major park into the heart of the project.

These axes intersect at a central courtyard, designed to host daily activities, gatherings, and cultural events. A small amphitheater, shaded arcades, and active street frontages encourage public use throughout the day.

Programmatic Distribution

Ground Level (Courtyard Level):

• Retail units, cafes, and restaurants
• Municipal service offices (flexibly arranged for direct public interaction)
• Configurable shop units that can be merged or expanded
• Civic touchpoints like local administration, public safety, and communication hubs

Second Ground Level (Park Level):

• Additional retail and municipal commercial units
• Cultural facilities including small cinemas, exhibition halls, and an auditorium
• A children’s center near the park with access to semi-open terraces

Upper Floors:

• Traditional crafts workshops, recording studios, and multi-purpose halls
• A restaurant with panoramic views over the adjacent park
• Municipal departments with access to semi-open terraces integrated with building façades

Basement Levels:

• Two levels of underground parking for 400 vehicles
• Storage areas, technical rooms, and shelters designed per safety regulations

Spatial Language and Sustainability

The architectural approach uses layered public levels, topographic transitions, and organic circulation paths to ensure integration with surrounding landscapes. Semi-open spaces, terraces, and arcades improve passive climate control, supporting long-term sustainability goals.

The design encourages continuous street-level activity, combining commercial vitality with civic engagement and green integration. The structure becomes an extension of the park, blurring boundaries between built space and open landscape.

Conclusion

This urban regeneration project redefines a central coastal plot as a multi-functional lifestyle hub. By balancing memory, accessibility, and future needs, it offers a model for integrated, pedestrian-oriented development in similar urban contexts.