EXHIBITIONS / PAST / SEVINÇ HADI - ŞANDOR HADI

INSTALLATION

TEXT

Millî Reasürans Art Gallery opens its doors to the audience with its first exhibition with the “Millî Reasürans T.A.Ş. General Directorate Building, Auxiliary Facilities, Business and Trade Center” projects designed by Sevinç Hadi - Şandor Hadi.

The exhibition reveals the construction process with the design, plan and photographs of the Millî Reasürans Complex located between Maçka Street and Abdi İpekçi Street. When Millî Reasürans T.A.Ş.’s developing needs became insufficient to meet the Türkiye Han building located at Sirkeci, the company decided to have a new building built on its own land in Nişantaşı. A competition was organized for the new building to be built by the company. The architectural project designed by Sevinç Hadi and Şandor Hadi duo won the competition. The project was designed between 1985-1987 and construction began in 1987. The construction was completed in 1992. As of January 1993, Millî Reasürans T.A.Ş. began providing services in its new building in Nişantaşı.

The Millî Reasürans complex attracts attention with the presence of different units such as the passage connecting two streets that host offices, general directorate, art gallery, bank and social facilities.

The most striking part of the structure is the sense of emptiness created by pulling back the main facades. Utarit İzgi defines this emptiness mentioned in the text he wrote for this exhibition as a contemporary eyvan. The eyvan/void, which aims to reduce the effect of the facades that continue uninterruptedly along Maçka Street, reverses the sense of constriction that a large mass would cause. This situation invites pedestrians into the building while preserving the intimate relationship of the building with its neighbors.

The publication prepared for the exhibition is also the first book of the gallery. The book, whose graphic design was done by Esen Karol, published the article written by Utarit İzgi together with its English translation. Photographs, drawings and plans taken while the building was under construction were also included in the article.

The exhibition can be viewed at the Millî Reasürans Art Gallery between October 12 - 26, 1994.

WORKS

PRESS