Building quality, equality, and sustainability of life for all is a response to the Syrian refugee crisis and the Turkey-Syrian earthquake in Reyhanlı, a small town in the south-eastern Turkish province of Hatay adjacent to Syria. As the gateway to Aleppo in Syria, the town became the main entry point for asylum seekers during escalating civil conflicts and the subsequent Syrian war. Over the past decade, Reyhanlı’s population has grown from 120,000 to 270,000 people. The recent Turkey-Syria earthquakes in 2023 severely damaged most cities in Hatay, and Reyhanlı received an estimated 200,000 environmental refugees.
Cho and his student team at Bilkent University programmed and designed the Centre with the aim of stimulating socio-cultural, economic, and political integration and inclusion between Syrians and Turkish locals. Research for the Centre’s architectural program and site investigation started in 2016, while the construction was between April 2020 and September 2021. Cho has continued his volunteering role as a donor and fundraiser, serving as the Centre’s founding director and the principal architect. His team works closely with the Turkish government, NGOs, INGOs, and grassroots organizations to realize a joint vision: to build quality, equality, and sustainability of life for all. Today, the Centre runs a women’s association, cooperative, and social enterprises, providing ongoing vocational, educational, and recreational programs.
The successful establishment of the Centre and women’s association, cooperative, and social enterprise is the result of time-intensive collaboration between the Centre, Reyhanlı municipality, and disadvantaged groups in the local communities. Cho’s team conducted a community survey over 3 years to identify and engage with the disadvantaged groups most suitable for participating in the Centre’s programming, design, and construction process. Most participating groups were women and children, selected without discriminating whether they were from the Syrian or Turkish communities. The whole development initiatives set the foundation for building trust, creating a larger and yet more integrated and inclusive community.
The Center’s managers, users, and beneficiaries all participated in the centre establishment, thereby creating a social bond that promotes self-sufficiency. The joint ownership also created collective responsibility in generating incomes to fund the Centre’s activities. In effect, the Centre is not just a “transitional shelter” for people in need but also a place that serves diverse functions, such as children’s education, women’s empowerment, community services, recreation, and leisure. In 2023, the Center is engaging with >200 people, offering them basic living supports, and providing free educational and recreational activities to >300 children onsite.
Category:EnvironmentsYear:2023Designer:Chen-Yu Chiu and Studio Cho, Reyhanli, TurkiyeManufacturer:Reyhanli Municipality, Reyhanli, Turkiye