Located in the northwest of Lake Van, Ahlat district has been an important settlement in every period of history thanks to its characteristics. Hosting many different civilizations, Ahlat's cultural and sociological accumulation as well as its geographical richness guided us in the project development process. The main plot of the project was created by abstracting the references taken from the past regarding the relationship established with the context, belonging to that place and pure formality as well as the essence.
As for the region where the competition area is located; the Ağrı-Bitlis road that cuts the project area in two like a knife, the development of the city in the east-west line over time, the uninterrupted pedestrian line on the coastline and the silhouette drawn by the mountains, hills and valleys in the north-south direction as they reach the water are the main issues that the project focuses on. In this direction; 1. An uninterrupted pedestrian path is proposed from the northern project area to the southern project area. This main spine line, which passes under the Ağrı-Bitlis road, is located at the -5.00 lake level and is connected to the 0.00 street level with a ramp of its own width on the northern side.
When approaching from the north on this spine line, the entrance of the conference center is reached first. The foyer of this unit, which does not need daylight, is designed in a way that it can be connected to the pedestrian line thanks to the openable and closeable joinery. The Spa center is reached closer to the lake side. Although it is below the street level, this unit, which can receive daylight with its own inner courtyard, can be used from outside as well as the hotel lobby. In the continuation of this pedestrian line, the boathouse, storage and services are directly reached to the pier. At the 0.00 level of the street; the hotel lobby, which works in the east-west direction, has been designed in parallel with the development of the city. On the west side, there is an open parking lot, a drop-off area, while on the east side, there is a square, event and sports areas, and a tour bus drop-off platform. Secondary pedestrian axes running in the east-west direction have been included in the project structure, allowing different functions to be connected to each other with different alternative paths.
Along with the sports areas in the north and south of the project, a running and walking track that connects both sides has been proposed. This track, which runs at -5.00, 0.00 and +6.00 elevations, ends by merging with a secondary fast running track in the north area. On the +6.00 elevation of the project, there are restaurants and social areas above the lobby. This unit, which includes indoor, semi-outdoor and outdoor areas, also functions as a bridge passing over the Ağrı-Bitlis road and a viewing terrace where the beauty of the entire region can be watched. The hotel mass, which starts at +9.50, is oriented towards the view with all its rooms and is enriched with its inner courtyards. On the southern shore side of the project; there are open sports areas, cafe, food and beverage units and services as well as a pier. The uninterrupted coastline in the east-west direction is provided by a gap in the service wall. The canoes taken inside from the canoe reception area find a place for themselves inside the service wall in the area closest to the lake line. The food and beverage platform drawn on the boathouse and cafe axis is in contact with the sand area on the shore. The lighting poles positioned in the grid system on it allow the inclusion of upper membrane covers that can be opened and closed in the summer months.
The landscape design of the project, on the other hand, shows itself with different features in different areas and aims for the users to have a variety of experiences. By isolating the noise of the Ağrı-Bitlis road, it helps to define the perception of the project's open activity areas, sports areas and square section in the third dimension.