YP Auditorium by CAA.Studio: A Contemporary Interpretation of Brutalist Heritage in METU Campus

 Architects: CAA.Studio 

A New Cultural Landmark Rooted in Context

The YP Auditorium, designed by CAA.Studio, is a striking architectural addition to the Middle East Technical University (METU) campus in Ankara. Renowned for its cohesive brutalist architecture, the METU campus was originally planned and built in the 1980s by Altuğ and Behruz Çinici following a 1961 architectural competition. The legacy of this modernist urban vision, with its honest material palette and pedestrian-focused master plan, deeply influenced the conception of the YP Auditorium.

In designing this 4,500-square-meter education and cultural facility, CAA.Studio sought to honor the architectural DNA of METU while introducing a bold contemporary presence. The result is a space that both respects and reinvents the context — a landmark auditorium that bridges the past and present.

Architectural Approach: Brutalism Reimagined

At its core, the design philosophy of the YP Auditorium draws from the raw materiality and spatial honesty of brutalist architecture. The use of exposed concrete and brick in their unembellished forms continues the campus tradition, while also foregrounding the structure’s inherent tectonic strength.

The auditorium’s four massive amphitheaters are key sculptural elements. Projecting outward from the main volume, these monolithic forms create dynamic cantilevers that gesture toward the surrounding landscape, embodying a bold structural clarity. Their angular massing contributes to a sculpture-like silhouette, rendering the building an unmistakable figure within the campus skyline.

Spatial Fluidity and Social Integration

Internally, the program comprises four amphitheaters and seventeen classrooms, all of which are organized around a central gallery. This gallery acts as a connective public spine that links all educational spaces while also facilitating spontaneous interactions. The architects ensured that this common gallery was visually and physically connected to the outdoors, encouraging a fluid transition between interior and exterior spaces.

A key design element is the use of vivid red prismatic inserts that punctuate the gallery. These elements bring a contemporary energy into the concrete-heavy interiors, providing both wayfinding clarity and visual contrast. This play of color and form invigorates the user experience and breaks the austerity often associated with brutalist interiors.

Dialogue Between Past and Present

One of the most compelling aspects of the YP Auditorium is how it engages in a conversation with its architectural predecessors. Rather than mimic, the design echoes the spirit of the 1960s modernist intent by prioritizing spatial quality, openness, and human scale. The building doesn’t merely replicate METU’s established architectural language—it evolves it.