Fevzipaşa Boulevard stands out as an important historical region in Izmir. The historical Kemeraltı Bazaar and the contemporary urban texture are blended with eternal harmony.
Located on the boulevard, The Mercer aims to create a timeless identity inspired by the historical and contemporary urban fabric of its context.
The form of the mass is a natural outcome of the existing parcel boundaries which do not have a clear geometry. Brick, as an organic material, constitutes the main character of the facade within the historical texture. By blending natural bricks with variable openings, it was aimed to exhibit a contemporary design approach within the historical context. At the same time, a transparent tear on the facade was created to reflect the surrounding historical silhouette with respect to the historical buildings eave levels.
The surrounding historical building window openings and their rhythms are revisited as a source of inspiration for the facade organization. This inspiration gains ground on The Mercer’s facade to achieve a regular arrangement of the irregular opening order.
The fact that the colour of the building skin is black, is to provide disappearance in the city silhouette.
In the design, which aims to reinterpret historical architecture in the region, all building elements are rethought separately. Jambs, which are frequently encountered in historical buildings, have taken a new approach by maintaining their presence in the building.
The use of natural materials is combined with a brutalist approach in the interior. Vertical gardens that can be seen from the gallery spaces were created with the aim of keeping the green in the foreground.
