Epicenter

Disaster occurs when hazard meets vulnerability. Hazard refers to unexpected, spontaneous and, unpredicted events. Vulnerability, in common terms, defines the susceptibility of a person or society to physical or emotional harm.

The approach to such a complex issue needs to be addressed with caution and humility. The critical question when humans define natural disasters is addressed here by avoiding the typically assumed or even expected monumentality that demonstrates the dramatic power of man over nature. Could we instead celebrate natural disasters by creating an iconic piece of architecture within the urban fabric of Istanbul? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to approach this project by providing void, an open space in which experience and acknowledge the history of natural disasters?