In this project; the location of Odakule on the urban scale and the potentials brought by its location, its nature as a passage, and the boundaries drawn within the scope of the competition were questioned under three main headings. First, when the evaluation of the location of the area and the approach to the area on the urban scale is made; it is necessary to start with the fact that Odakule assumes the role of being an important focal point on the axis of İstiklal Street like Taksim Square, Galatasaray Square, Tünel Square. When this role is considered, the situation and potential can be evaluated under three separate headings. First; the strong connection of the external public transportation approach to İstiklal Street to Tepebaşı Multi-Storey Car Park -which is an important pedestrian approach point to İstiklal Street-; second, although İstiklal Street has a dynamic structure in its essence, its ossified texture due to its historical nature contains staticity in the context of the transformation of the Street; However, in addition, the fact that the connection with Odakule and the Tepebaşı Region, which has a high development potential, has potential in terms of urban development (being open to new zoning plans); and thirdly, the structure has a stance that speaks in the city in the context of modern architecture, explains its feature of being a focal point.
The passage quality of Odakule Passage is another important issue that needs to be questioned within the scope of the competition. It would not be wrong to say that this area, which is called Passage due to the urban qualities mentioned above, is actually only a transition (connection point). When İstiklal Avenue is examined morphologically, there are passages and intervals with many qualities and features belonging to different periods along the Avenue. The opening of the area as an idea competition can also be seen as an opportunity to consider how the Odakule Building and Passage, which is an important part of the 20th Century modern architectural heritage, should evolve from its use at the time it was designed to its current use due to the potentials it contains. This situation brings to mind how a focal point on Istiklal Avenue in the 21st century can be transformed into a 21st century passage.
On the other hand, the fact that the competition boundaries are clearly drawn but the scope is open-ended is another important point that needs to be questioned. The proposed project rejects an approach where only the physical features of this passage are improved and point solutions are produced, and even finds it reductive. With this idea, the project also questions the concept of protection due to its nature as a modern cultural heritage. Contrary to the conservative protection approach that sees the visibility of the intervention as a “radical, abnormal” approach; it advocates strengthening the feature of being a focal point, strengthening the perception of Odakule Passage, and addressing the situation as a tunnel opening to the new development potential area in Tepebaşı District, and prefers to give signals of this from İstiklal Street. It advocates an approach that evaluates the potential for change in value and use over time as a concept of contemporary addition to a qualified structure. In this context, despite the decision to preserve the Basement Floor, the Tower's Basement section, which was not allowed by the competition specifications, the project conceptualized the project as a time tunnel, a new interface that opens to the potential development area, scanning the Tower, which is the South Facade, the Church's blind façade and the Odakule Entrance Façade in 2019, and provides material changes in the context of the new-old dialectic togetherness with contemporary materials by peeling off the remaining façades in the area within the walls defining the passage.
It foresees the transfer of functions such as Live Broadcast Studio, Biletix, Newspaper, to the energy of İstiklal Street, which is faded in Meşrutiyet Street, by adding a small function due to the narrowness of the passage, and questioning the future existence of the TRT Building in the Tepe Başı Region and making references to urban memory.
In addition to all these, another important decision made by the project is; even if the Tower's base function is not intervened; It can be said that the Terrace level of Odakule's Base, which was detached from the Tower and was organized as Social Spaces during the construction process but is currently not used much, is being publicized; It can be said that it is being put back into use by considering its potential as a public balcony opening to the people from the 8.50 level, overlooking Istiklal Street and the Tepebaşı Golden Horn.