Abstract:

Airport design includes thematic concepts/discourses and physical space formations that require mechanical solutions. The number and size of airports are increasing day by day in order to respond to new requirements in parallel with the development of cities and transportation network. These structures, in which different sections/facilities and systems are used in their mega structure, are supported with a mass solution-oriented approach through the urban model with their physical and social spaces. While mechanical needs bring functionality to the fore, the presentation of parts and image elements scattered in different places in the city strengthens the idea of urban formation under a single cover. In the study, the design and spatial setup of Esenboğa Airport, which was implemented through competition in Turkey, was examined, based on the argument that the features which ensure the readability of the cities can also ensure the readability of the buildings. Esenboğa Airport, which symbolizes the modern face of the capital city and is among the best airports in Europe in the category of 10-25 million passengers, reveals that a city can be constructed within a structure, with the aim of investigating the spatial legibility depending on the architectural design approach during the usage period. As a result of the literature review, fieldwork and passenger observations, the spatial reflections of the image elements that provide the identity formation of the physical architecture were evaluated by obtaining the study data. This study includes the analyzes and the results of the examined Esenboğa Airport according to the urban image elements that Kevin Lynch put forward for the legibility of a city.

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