Monument Dedicated to Healthcare Workers – “Blurred”

Designed by Cirit Avcı Architecture & Design, "Monument Dedicated to Healthcare Workers - Blurred" is located in Bursa.

Uncertainty without clear boundaries

The project was achieved by realizing the work won in the competition dedicated to healthcare workers who lost their lives due to the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2021.

MONUMENT AND URBAN MEMORY

Monuments, along with their formation processes, bring the city and its inhabitants into a new process. The artist’s approach to the idea, the specific location and environmental conditions give rise to a single design, while users generate infinite ideas and interpretations from the resulting design.

MONUMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

The project area is located in Nilüfer district of Bursa, in a location that carries the traces of the district’s contemporary urban identity. The project area, located in an area that can be called an urban void, is situated in a region where agricultural lands are being urbanized. On both sides of the park area, which is in a triangular shape, there are roads for vehicles, and there is a parking lot to the north. While Ahmet Taner KISLALI Avenue forms an important threshold for the project area on the eastern facade, the heavy traffic on the avenue causes noise problems in the project area.

MONUMENT AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS

The concept of healthcare workers can have narrower or broader meanings depending on changing contexts. Especially during the pandemic period, the concept has come to the forefront with a definition beyond professional classifications. Therefore, it would be appropriate to approach the concept through the definition mentioned: “Coming together from different health professions to treat, protect, and improve people’s health; health workers who complement each other, each fulfilling their own duties, constantly sharing knowledge and experiences, making joint decisions, and directly participating in healthcare by implementing these decisions together, whether they are from other professions or not, and individuals who are involved in the organization of providing healthcare, directly or indirectly.” Based on the professional definition, the representation and evoked thoughts of healthcare workers have been reinterpreted, and conceptual design ideas have been generated. State of being both singular and collective: teamwork in the profession Visibility and invisibility: social existence/labour Uncertainty: critical factors in different situations Empty-full: state of being together and separate In addition to this general conceptual framework, it is also important to focus on the meaning and traces left by Dr. Refik Saydam and healthcare workers who laid the foundations of modern Turkey’s healthcare institution and system. The continuity, stability, and complementary nature of this modern system from the initial footsteps to the present day have been approached through the concept of continuity: the concept of protective and eternal existence.

MEMORY COURTYARD

The design emphasizes the concept of urban plaza, aiming for the artwork to be seen as an urban void and creating a focal point. Care has been taken for the artwork to be located at the center of the plot, farthest from the surrounding road and parking lot, to distance it from environmental noise and disturbances as much as possible.

CONCEPTUAL IDEAS AND THE MONUMENT

The monument takes the form of a square defined by the rational assembly of modular units. The rhythmic interplay of the design and its indescribable, uncertain relationships with the topography reflect the conceptual ideas evoked by the definition of healthcare workers. As one progresses north along the urban axis, the artwork, appearing somewhat ambiguous within the landscape, greets the urban dweller as it becomes more apparent. As one approaches the artwork, the rhythmic arrangement of reflective panels reflects the sky, nature, and environmental movements on the façade. The artwork is positioned at eye level at the intersection of the sky and the landscape, providing the user with a moment to see the landscape along with the horizon line. When approached close enough to touch, the artwork creates a threshold for passage with its elevated position yet protruding form from the topography. This tension between the interior and exterior of the artwork is desired. The memory courtyard provides a defined pause space that can be used for commemoration ceremonies or as an urban attraction point. Through the relationship between the landscape and the artwork, the artwork at times emerges from the ground, at times floats as a cantilever, and at times defines the ambiguity between touching and not touching the landscape. Thus, diversity and awareness increase, and a design that takes shape according to the situation is achieved. The design of the monument and landscape has created a customized experiential space for the urban dweller, allowing for limited re-engagement with the landscape. The design creates a “flu” effect with openings and densities. In conclusion, we can say that “Blurred” is a work dedicated to healthcare workers, and its design is closely related to the conceptual ideas evoked by healthcare workers. The design highlights concepts

1. Ödül, Sağlık Çalışanlarına Adanmış Bir Sanat Yapıtı Yarışması

Sağlık Çalışanlarına Adanmış Bir Sanat Yapıtı Yarışması