CHAOS

Project idea

Chaos is an experimental memorial space inspired by the psychological impact of the Kartalkaya fire disaster. Rather than representing the fire itself, the project explores the emotions experienced during the event—panic, uncertainty, disorientation, and the instinct to survive.

The design concept is derived from panning photography, where a moving subject remains in focus while the surroundings dissolve into dynamic linear traces. In this project, the focused subject symbolizes the individual during the fire, while the blurred linear patterns represent chaos. These traces became the conceptual foundation of both the architectural form and the structural system.

Project description

The project reinterprets memorial architecture as an immersive spatial experience rather than a static monument. Visitors follow a carefully designed sequence beginning with the Memorial Space, continuing through the Exhibition Area and the Chaos Experience, and concluding with the Order Experience, Seminar Hall, and Social Spaces.

The architectural form is generated from organic volumes wrapped by a dynamic structural network inspired by the linear movement found in panning photography. This expressive structure becomes both the primary load-bearing system and the project's conceptual language, translating movement and emotional tension into architecture.

The project encourages visitors not only to remember the disaster but also to experience its emotional impact and reflect on resilience, awareness, and collective memory.

Technical information

Project Name: CHAOS – Kartalkaya Experimental Memorial Space

Project Type: Experimental Memorial Architecture

Location: Kartalkaya, Bolu, Türkiye

Design Concept: Chaos interpreted through the visual language of panning photography.

Architectural Language: Organic form generated through computational design and an expressive free-form structural system.

Structural System: Free-form spatial lattice with a transparent shell envelope.

Program:

Memorial Space
Temporary Exhibition Area
Chaos Experience
Order Experience
Seminar Hall
Social Spaces

Keywords: Chaos, Memory, Fire, Panning Photography, Spatial Experience, Structural Expression, Contemporary Memorial Architecture.

Documentation

Show PDF 1