Konya Square Complex and Bicycle Museum, Türkiye / Yalın Architectural Design + SCRA Architecture

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The Konya Plaza complex consists of 13 reinforced concrete buildings, and its design draws on the traditional Konya housing and neighborhood fabric that existed on the site before 1955. Over the years, the complex has housed various NGOs and municipal departments. Its architectural language embodies a recurring tendency in Turkish architectural practice: the use of concrete to imitate historical architectural forms. However, over time, the spatial character of this development and the connections it established with its surroundings remained limited at both an architectural and urban level.

Konya Square Houses consists of 13 reinforced-concrete buildings, drawing on the traditional Konya houses and neighborhood fabric that existed on the site until 1955. Over the years, the complex accommodated various non-governmental organizations and municipal departments. Its architectural language reflects a recurring tendency in Turkish architectural practice: reproducing historical morphology through concrete imitation. Over time, however, the spatial character of the development and the relationships it established with its surroundings remained limited in both architectural and urban terms.

▼The complex within Konya © Hacer Bozkurt

The complex within Konya

konya square 02 photo 48

The Konya Metropolitan Municipality commissioned us to reintegrate this area into urban life and become an active part of daily life. The core challenge of the project was to acknowledge the existing buildings despite their antique architectural language and to create a coherent and sustainable pattern of public spaces around them. At the same time, the protected historical buildings surrounding the site also require the design to intervene in the historical environment in a prudent manner.

▼Existing site plan © Yalın Architectural Design + SCRA Architecture

Existing site plan

Konya Metropolitan Municipality approached our office with the aim of reconnecting the area to urban life and making it an active part of everyday life. The project’s central challenge was to acknowledge the presence of the existing buildings, despite their imitative architectural language, while establishing a coherent and sustainable public pattern around them. The need to engage with the protected heritage buildings surrounding the site also called for a sensitive approach to intervention within the historic context.

▼Renewed streets and lanes © Hacer Bozkurt

Renewed streets and lanes/Renewed streets and lanes

▼Exterior view of the complex © Hacer Bozkurt

konya square 13 photo 39

konya square 12 photo 36

During the design process, we conducted a series of studies to explore the composition, density and distribution of spatial functions in the site. The final scheme integrates commercial units, dining venues, craft spaces, workshops and a bicycle museum.

▼General plan after renovation, Proposed site plan © Yalın Architectural Design + SCRA Architecture

Renovated general floor plan/Proposed site plan

Throughout the design process, a series of studies explored the development of the spatial program, its density, and its distribution across the site. The final scheme integrated a range of commercial units, food and beverage venues, craft spaces, workshops, and the Bicycle Museum.

▼Timber additions and public space © Hacer Bozkurt

Timber additions and public space/ Timber additions and public space

konya square 11 photo 28

Our basic strategy is not to simply preserve the existing structure, but to view its existence as an opportunity. Through precisely placed additions, we seek to re-establish the spatial fabric, the streets, the spaces between buildings and the squares – in other words, re-establish public life itself.

▼intervention strategy, intervention strategy © Yalın Architectural Design + SCRA Architecture

konya square 27 drawing 08 doku eng

konya square 28 drawing 09 doku eng

Our fundamental strategy was not simply to preserve the existing structures, but to treat their presence as an opportunity. Through precisely positioned additions, we sought to re-establish the spatial pattern, the street, the in-between spaces, and the square -in other words, public life itself.

▼Timber passage and lane © Hacer Bozkurt

Timber passage and lane/ Timber passage and lane

▼Timber interventions along the lanes © Hacer Bozkurt

Timber interventions along the lanes

In deliberate contrast to these “traditional looking” reinforced concrete buildings, we introduced real timber frame structures to strengthen the urban fabric and spatial connections. Among them, the largest addition serves the bicycle museum: a set of wooden stairs and elevator core connect the three originally independent buildings, thus forming a decentralized and unified system with clear entrances and exits and vertical traffic organization.

▼Bicycle Museum axonometric view, Bicycle Museum axonometric view © Yalın Architectural Design + SCRA Architecture

Bicycle Museum axonometric view/Bicycle Museum axonometric

In contrast deliberate to these reinforced-concrete, “traditional-looking” buildings, we introduced authentic timber-frame structures to reinforce the urban pattern and spatial relationships. The most extensive of these additions was developed for the Bicycle Museum, where three originally separate buildings were connected by a timber-frame stair and elevator core. This created a fragmented yet unified system with clearly defined entrances, exits, and vertical circulation.

▼Cycling and everyday public life, Cycling and everyday public life © Hacer Bozkurt

konya square 14 photo 38

▼Museum entrance space © Hacer Bozkurt

Museum entrance space/Museum entrance space

▼Timber connecting space, Timber connecting space © Hacer Bozkurt

Timber connecting space/ Timber connecting space

konya square 19 photo 42

▼Timber staircase, Timber staircase © Hacer Bozkurt

Timber staircase/ Timber staircase

▼Corridor, corridor © Hacer Bozkurt

konya square 21 photo 43

The museum tells the story of Konya’s cycling culture. This culture has continued to develop since the 1920s and is well known locally, but is still not fully understood by the rest of Türkiye and the international public. The permanent exhibition presents the history of bicycles, their components, and the development of Konya’s bicycle culture. The exhibition design makes extensive use of non-digital installations and interactive systems, and uses digital content to further support the narrative.

▼Museum circulation, Museum circulation © Yalın Architectural Design + SCRA Architecture

Museum circulation/Museum circulation

The museum tells the story of cycling in Konya, a culture that has continued to evolve since the 1920s and is well known locally, yet remains relatively unfamiliar to national and international audiences. The permanent exhibition presents the history of the bicycle, its components, and the development of cycling culture in Konya. The exhibition design makes extensive use of analog and interactive systems, with the narrative further supported by digital content.

▼Exhibition on bicycle history © Hacer Bozkurt

Exhibition on bicycle history/Exhibition on bicycle history

▼Cycling culture gallery © Hacer Bozkurt

Cycling culture gallery/ Cycling culture gallery

▼Digital media gallery © Hacer Bozkurt

Digital media gallery

▼Cycling culture gallery detail © Hacer Bozkurt

konya square 25 photo 47

We conceived the Konya Square complex and the Bicycle Museum as an example of adaptive reuse and upcycling: overlaying the traces of history with a contemporary construction language by transforming the existing urban fabric rather than demolishing and rebuilding.

We conceived Konya Square Houses and the Bicycle Museum as an example of adaptive reuse and upcycling -an approach that transforms the existing fabric rather than demolishing and rebuilding, while layering traces of the past through a contemporary tectonic language.

▼Timber frames and existing buildings © Hacer Bozkurt

Timber frames and existing buildings/ Timber frames and existing buildings

The Bicycle Museum will officially open on February 16, 2026. In the same year, Konya was awarded the title of “European Cycling Capital 2026” by ACES Europe. The museum transforms this urban identity into a space that becomes a place of memory, highlighting Konya’s century-old cycling tradition, sports infrastructure and sustainable mobility vision, while establishing a new destination for domestic and foreign visitors.

The Bicycle Museum officially opened on February 16, 2026. In the same year, Konya was awarded the title of “2026 European Capital of Cycling” by the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES Europe). Spatializing this acquired identity, the museum serves as a place of memory that brings visibility to the city’s century-old cycling tradition, sports infrastructure, and vision for sustainable mobility, while also establishing a new point of attraction for national and international visitors.

Buildings and surrounding streets/ Buildings and surrounding streets

konya square 29 drawing 10 uzakvaziyet

Ground-floor plan of the complex

Museum ground-floor plan/Museum ground-floor plan

Museum first-floor plan/Museum first-floor plan

konya square 44 drawing 28 kesitd eng

KESIT ENG

konya square 39 drawing 23 sistem eng

konya square 40 drawing 24 sistem eng

Bicycle types exhibition panel design/ Bicycle types exhibition panel

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