Well I am super excited to be sharing this post with you all. 'Youth Republic' is one of those projects that suddenly appeared on my desk and blew me away. It had me thinking, 'damn I wish I had of been apart of the team that created that whole lot of goodness!'.
Luckily I get the privilege to blog about this amazing project by the incredible Turkish design studio, Kontra Architecture. Here is a little bit about Kontra Architecture:
Kontra is an environment think tank where space and ideas are audited, researched, analysed, created and revolutionized.
Kontra believes that architecture define's one's world view and is an interdisciplinary language between all art departments.
At Kontra, it is important to be the pioneer of unconventional success, and go beyond the unattempted
for an extraordinary realisation.
With that bit of inspiration in mind there is really no wonder why Youth Republic is such a revolutionary and dynamic interior.
Youth Republic is made up of 1300m2 of ancient space in an old atelier building in the middle of the trade centre in Istanbul. Kontra Architecture have converted this space into a contemporary loft for a youth agency made up of nine departments.
I personally love the entrance. The high ceiling and rusty metal colour palette set the tone for the rest of the fit-out. Here is a description of the Youth Republic by the designers:
Inside, the lively and colorful space screams the inspiration for the young team: “Stay Young!” This is an ideal environment to encourage creativity, concentration and relaxation.
The first thing that draws attention, is the nuclear reactor shaped meeting point right in the middle of the open office. It includes a heritage table – a witness of the creative mind of this young agency since its foundation. This space is the heart of the Youth Republic and is used for brainstorming sessions.
The entire space is designed as an open office. It makes you feel the spirit of a university campus with its colorful lockers.Furthermore there are urgent meeting points where the team will be able to jot down their ideas on blackboards.
Using raw material reflects the company’s work principle and young team. The agency itself transforms abstract ideas into concrete ones. As the container walls create an industrial atmosphere, it’s the graffiti on them that actually gives the street spirit.
The tangarine trees between the tables in the open office provide fresh air for the employees as well as creating a refreshing atmosphere. The colorful libraries with dynamically formed shelves scattered all around the office provide for continuous thinking and creativity.
The canteen is the point of discharge for the employees during a busy day of brainstorming. Fun images on the walls and colorful fluorescent lights on the ceiling maintain the young energy of the office. The yellow striped walls are calling on the employees to “take a break”.
You can trace signs of creativity in the bathrooms as well. The images on the walls reflect the dreams of both genders.
This young team has 4 young managers whose rooms are positioned side by side on the mezzanine that dominate the open office.
Almost all parts; meeting rooms, training room, even managers’ rooms are designed as a semi-open space. The glass seperation units with graphics support the energy circulation between the managers and the team.
This is one of my favourite commercial interiors I have seen in a long time! If you would like to see more of the brilliant work by Kontra Architecture please visit their website:
P.S. Their website is amazing as well!
