Floornature

Emre Arolat Architects was founded in May 2004 by Emre Arolat and Gonca PaÅŸolar in Istanbul, as the continuation of Emre Arolat’s architectural practices which he started at Arolat Architects as an associate designer in 1987. Arolat Architects was founded in 1961 and the group has drawn significant professional experience from regular contributions to architectural competitions and executed significant housing, tourism facilities, leisure centers, administrative buildings and sports grounds projects. The practice is being continued with the same range of projects in EAA-Emre Arolat Architects with the contributions of other partners, NeÅŸet Arolat, Åžaziment Arolat, Sezer Bahtiyar and a professional architectural staff in its office in Istanbul.

Architectural significance of the group was supported by many awards, some of which, worthwhile to depict, are the European Union Prize Mies van der Rohe Award 2005 (Selected Work) with Minicity Model Park in Antalya, Turkey; 2006 Architectural Review Awards for Emerging Architecture (Highly Commended) with Dalaman International Airport in Mugla, Turkey; 2008 Architectural Review Awards for Emerging Architecture (Commended) with Minicity Model Park in Antalya, Turkey; Cityscape Dubai Special Award 2008 in the category of “Master Planning” with Zorlu Center project, MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards (Commended) with Tekfen Kağıthane Offices and Milas Golf Hotel, in Ä°stanbul, Turkey; European and African Property Awards 2009 in the Residential category with Zorlu Konak Residences project in Izmir, Turkey; European and African Property Awards 2009 in the Commercial category with Zorlu Center project in Istanbul, Turkey, Lara Kervansaray Hotel & Convention Center in Antalya, Turkey and Santralistanbul Museum of Contemporary Arts in Istanbul, Turkey; 2009 Emirates Glass Leaf Awards “Mixed Used Building of the Year” with 7800 ÇeÅŸme Residences & Hotel in Izmir, Turkey; 2010 Europe 40 Under 40 Awards received by Gonca PaÅŸolar and Kerem Piker; 2010 International Architecture Awards with Santralistanbul Museum of Contemporary Arts in Istanbul, Turkey; 2010 European Property Awards (Highly Commended) in the commercial category with 7800 ÇeÅŸme Residences & Hotel in Ä°zmir, Turkey, Tekfen Kağıthane Offices in Ä°stanbul, Turkey and Raif Dinçkök Yalova Cultural Center in Yalova Turkey and in the residential category 7800 ÇeÅŸme Residences & Hotel in Ä°zmir, Turkey and Folkart Narlıdere Housing in Ä°zmir, Turkey; Cityscape Dubai Awards 2010 in the category of “Residential Buildings” and “Leisure Buildings” with Maksimum Houses and Minicity Model Park in Ä°stanbul, Turkey; Aga Khan Awards for Architecture with Ä°pekyol Textile Factory in Edirne, Turkey. 2010 MIPIM AR Future Project Awards in the “Retail and Leisure” category “Varyap Merkez Shopping and Cultural Center” in Istanbul, “Regeneration and Masterplanning” category “Zorlu Center” in Istanbul. “Osman Hamdi Bey Award” by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2011. 2010 Green Good Design Awards  “Zorlu Center”in Istanbul, “Yalıkavak Residences” in Mugla and Green Good Design Awards 2011 “Sinpas Eco Town”in Istanbul and “Izmir Fair Complex” in Izmir.

In the architectural design process at EAA, main decisions consider interpretation of the “context,” in its widest sense. In this case, each context anticipates different approaches and this leads to an architectural practice where a conceptual and positional consistency is valid, rather than specific visual correspondences. The material use is determined by a categorical approach, depending on its visual and tactile nature, rather than designation of an inevitable specific material. Consequently, a flexible architectural expression is pursued on the basis of  a definite conceptual ground.