Saudade: Exploring Emotional Architecture

Architecture today is largely characterized by uniformity, with urban landscapes often reducing the connection between people, time, and the environment. This project, titled Saudade, challenges this notion by fostering a deeper emotional and spatial connection. Designed by Burak Nergizoğlu and İmre Bilgin, this project was a shortlisted entry in the prestigious Athenaeum competition.

Redefining Urban Experience

Saudade critiques the monotony and loss of time and space in contemporary cities. Through an innovative design concept, it creates an abstract representation of a futuristic cityscape using walls of varying sizes and heights. These architectural forms are carefully arranged to provide open, semi-enclosed, and enclosed areas that cater to human needs often overlooked in urban planning.

Key Features

1. Emotional Spaces

The design focuses on enabling visitors to experience emotions often absent in cityscapes. Actions as simple as sitting under a tree, gazing at the sky, or touching water are reimagined in Saudade's spatial environment. These specialized areas evoke a sense of calm and introspection, reconnecting visitors with their surroundings.

2. Dynamic Architecture

Every visit to Saudade offers a unique experience, as the spaces invite exploration and reinterpretation. The fluidity of the design ensures that the architecture remains unfamiliar yet inviting, encouraging both locals and visitors to forge their personal connections with the site.

3. Water Integration

A prominent element of the project is its interaction with water. The open areas seamlessly blend with water features, offering reflective and tranquil spaces that contrast with the density of urban life.

Conceptual Layers

The project is structured in distinct layers:

• Plate: A foundation that ties the design to its context.
• Boundaries: Architectural edges that define spatial zones.
• Walls: Variably sized elements creating dynamic paths and enclosures.
• Specialized Areas: Zones designed for emotional engagement and interaction with nature.

Saudade is a place of no one and everyone, embodying unfamiliarity and universality. It challenges conventional architecture by prioritizing emotional resonance over mere functionality. By integrating elements of water, light, and shadow, it presents a poetic architectural narrative that transcends time and space.

About the Designers: This visionary project by Burak Nergizoğlu and İmre Bilgin demonstrates how architecture can bridge the gap between emotion and urban living.