Middle East Technical University Research Park was constructed within the campus of one of Türkiye’s most established and internationally active institutions, with the aim of enabling the university’s research and application units to operate more effectively. The project also seeks to make central infrastructures accessible to a larger number of researchers, foster the development of interdisciplinary projects, and enhance the contribution of the institution’s research activities to industry and society. Within this framework, it was envisioned that specialized spaces such as laboratories and clean rooms would be shared, allowing university research resources to be used more efficiently and effectively.
Various centers within the institution participated in the comprehensive research and planning process shaping the building’s spatial organization, and the design was finalized in line with the detailed data obtained from these studies. With an enclosed area of approximately 28,000 m², the building includes laboratories and research areas, conference and meeting halls, seminar rooms, exhibition spaces, research offices, and social areas. In addition to the centers planned to be relocated in the initial phase, the Research Park was designed to provide spatial support for new research clusters and future centers.
The architectural language of the Research Park is derived from a sense of “primitiveness” that characterizes the buildings constructed during the initial phase of the METU campus. In this context, alongside a material palette consisting of exposed concrete and natural wood, a structural system was designed to be as simple and clear as possible. In certain parts of the building, the voiding of this system creates a sense of fluidity and tension, generating spatially surprising perspectives. As in the first-phase campus buildings, establishing a strong continuity between interior and exterior spaces was a key objective, and a pedestrian axis created within this framework was designed to connect to the main alley that forms the backbone of the campus.
Within this framework, a material palette composed of exposed concrete and natural wood was established. Alongside this palette, a structural system was designed to be as simple and clear as possible.
The architectural language of the building is derived from a sense of “primitiveness” that characterizes the structures built during the initial phase of the Middle East Technical University campus.
Content: Tasarım Group
