Özdemir Bayraktar Science Center and Technology Park (Southern Campus)
Location: Esenler, Istanbul
Arch. Imdat As
Year: 2020
The Özdemir Bayraktar Science Center & Technology Park (Southern Campus) is conceived as a landmark gateway to the Future City development in Esenler, Istanbul, bringing together a science center and technology park within a single integrated innovation environment. The 28,000 sqm complex accommodates thematic science galleries, laboratories and workshops, co-working and incubation spaces, a library, conference facilities, and public areas. A 52-meter-high tower anchors the composition, housing a planetarium and culminating in a panoramic viewing platform overlooking the surrounding city.
The architectural organization draws inspiration from the traditional Turkish concept of the “hayat” — a shared central space around which daily activities are organized. Reinterpreted at an urban and institutional scale, this central void becomes the social and spatial heart of the building, bringing together visitors, students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and technology companies while encouraging interaction and knowledge exchange.
Rather than treating the science center and technology park as separate programs, the project establishes a continuous ecosystem extending from curiosity and learning to research, production, and entrepreneurship. Architecture therefore operates not simply as a container for these activities, but as a physical infrastructure for innovation. The tower and its distinctive silhouette give the building a strong civic presence, marking the entrance to the Future City while expressing its ambitions in science, technology, and education.
Keywords: Technology Park, Science Center, Innovation, Incubator, Library, Laboratories, Planetarium, Future City
Client:
Esenler Teknopark TGB A.Ş.
Link:
https://teknoparkesenler.com.tr/
In the News:
- Ugur Aslanhan, Ergin Garip, Esenler'e teknopark ve bilim merkezi yapılacak, Anadolu Ajansı (AA), 30 April 2023
- Esenler Belediyesi, Esenler'in Tarihini ve Talihini Değiştirecek Proje!, 30 April 2023
- Esenler Belediyesi, Teknopark Esenler Kuruldu, 4 April 2023
- Esenler Belediyesi, Teknoloji Bölgesinin Adı Özdemir Bayraktar Oluyor, 9 Nov 2021
- Tevfik Göksu, Esenler Bilim Merkezi, Tweet, 6 July 2023
- Hasan Mandal, Bilimin ve Teknojinin Yeni Merkezi Esenler Oluyor, Tweet, 30 April 2023
- Tevfik Göksu, Esenler Bilim Merkezi, Tweet, 29 April 2023
- Tevfik Göksu, Esenler Akıllı Şehir, Tweet, 27 Nov 2020
(left) Visit of Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology Fatih Kacır (left) and the Mayor of Esenler Tevfik Göksu (middle) to the nearly completed Özdemir Bayraktar Science Center and Technology Park in Esenler, Istanbul, 17 Aug 2026.
