Çanakkale Antenna

Towering Above the Rest

We beat some outstanding competition to win the international competition for an observation and broadcast tower. Our iconic 100-m-high design takes the beautiful landscape as a starting point. Perched atop a scenic hill with panoramic views of the Dardanelles, our design reimagines the conventional approach. Recognising the visual and ecological impact, Çanakkale Antenna is enriched with public amenities and offers stunning views of the historic Turkish city.Çanakkale Antenna was commended by MIPIM/Architectural Review and the World Architecture Festival.

Budget€8 000 000
Time span2013 - 2023
Size3 000 m2
StatusCompleted
LocationÇanakkale, TR
TypePublic Spaces, Recognitions, Towers
Client
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Çanakkale Special Province Administration 
Partners in charge
Nanne de Ru, Arman Akdoğan (IND), Felix Madrazo (IND)
Partner in charge
Project lead
Project team
Charles Bessard
Dirk Jan Schaap
Donna van Milligen Bielke
Paul Rikken
Joanna Kułaczkowska
Jeronimo Mejia
Julius Kirchert
Jeffrey Ouwens
Arman Akdoğan (IND)
Felix Madrazo (IND)
Bibiana Páez (IND)
Alejandro Gonzalez Perez (IND)
Onur Can Tepe (IND)
Mila Dimitrovska (IND)
Zuzanna Koltowska (IND)
Marina Öztürker (IND)
Seda Soylu (IND)
Bahar Akkoclu (IND)
Paula Cabanillas Sevilla (IND)
Bruno Barbosa (IND)
Hazal Ceylan (IND)
Landscape architect
Hugo Sanchez Paisaje
Taller de Paisaje Entorno & Loop Design
Hugo Ignacio Sanchez Toledo
Tonatiuh Martinez
Silvia Lupini
Fernanda Fernanda García Alba
Luis Guísar
Structural engineer
Videography
Visualizations
Geotechnical consultant
İnşaat Müh
Jeoloji Müh
Infrastructure consultant
Antenna consultant
Bulent Yağcı
Selçuk Paker
Akın Baygın
Hasan Yeşilova
Nizamettin Çetinyılmaz
Electrical engineer

Kiss the sky

Çanakkale Antenna Tower exemplifies the art of harmonizing form and function

Kiss the sky

Our design creates a new public destination in a historic part of Turkey, complete with exhibition spaces, recreational facilities and observation decks alongside the antenna tower. We unite all these different functions and spatial requirements in one spatial gesture. Our tower acts as the climax of a forest path that winds up the hill on which it stands. It forms a continuation of the forest path, looping around the site and offering panoramic views in all directions. It merges into the visitor center, offering more breathtaking panoramas over the city and the forest, before returning to the top of the hill, where it shoots up into the sky.

Shaping the environment

A fluid outer band as a seamless connector
The loop's design artfully evolved into a tall entrance canyon
A wide viewing terrace deck on an elevated viaduct
01 - 03

We transformed an iconic appearance from afar into an elaborate scenic experience when up close.

Corten Marvel

Outer viewing platform encircling the entire project

Corten Marvel

The international competition challenged our team to create an elegant, eco-friendly, and economically viable solution. The goal was twofold: to consolidate existing telecommunication towers into one, and to open up the site for public use, incorporating amenities like viewing platforms, a visitor centre, and hospitality. To balance formal requirements and environmental sensitivity, we worked closely with telecommunication engineers. We ensured a safe distance between the tower and the public area to mitigate radiation risks. This decision led to the creation of an outer viewing platform encircling the entire project. By strategically distributing the program elements, we maximised the site’s potential.

A road of steel

Corten steel as the chosen finishing material
Adapting its tones to the sun's exposure and wind
Made from modular elements, complementing the landscape
Creating a subtle harmony with the natural environment
01 - 04

Together with ship builders we realised the three-dimensional tower shape, combining aesthetics and structure with an exoskeleton.

Rust and recreation

Stairs leading to the visitor center

Rust and recreation

Making the most of all the constraints was the motto of this project. The site was partly occupied by a military complex (now decommissioned) at the time of the design, meaning that strict plot boundaries applied. We used these to our advantage by using them to inform the outline of our curving path. The public function – in combination with a technical and potentially hazardous structure – was a further challenge. The path became the key, continuing the mountain road that leads to our site and separating the public areas from the technical ones, which are concealed in a vast concrete bunker below the ground.

It was a challenge to combine a public program with a (potentially hazardous) radio tower, yet we solved the puzzle with a single gesture.

Floor plan

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