Location, year:     Çeşme, İzmir 2010
Client:                   İÇTAŞ İnşaat
Architect:              Atelier Xavier Bohl
Scope:                  Facade and Landscape Lighting Design

Becoming very popular in recent years, Çeşme brings many investments with its increasing tourism potential. Çeşme Marina is one of the most important venues of this trend... The project, has brought a new perspective to the standard marina culture, goes beyond mere mechanical functionality with entertainment venues that are flooded by visitors day and night.

Boat, blue sea and light...

In harmony with the Aegean architecture and texture, it is also locally inspired with its small boutiques, hotels, restaurants, and cafes, but has never been a shallow imitation look. A simple design has been created that uses natural building materials such as stone wood, with intensive but simple details, and balances the relationship between land and water.

In the project process, the structure of the region and the location of the marina was important. The project observed on a city scale and a design that integrates with its natural concept envisaged by combining approaches with a human scale.

The magnitude of the urban intervention on the approximately 1 km long coastline of the marina, which has a capacity of 400 yachts, directed primarily to the formation of its silhouettes perceived by the sea and land.

In this context, due to its function, the hull area and warehouse spaces, which have no priority in terms of lighting design, have been redesigned within the silhouette as they are clearly perceived from the Çeşme beach and the sections of the marina's restaurants and squares. Another parameter was to support the harmony of the marina with the city and not to detach the area from the city. It was directed to a design that balances the light without falling into a great contrast with the city and considering the comfort conditions and using the light as much as necessary.

Passing beyond an artificial staging, the plain, intimate and amateur spirit of the marina was supported by lighting so that textures and colors were created. Low Kelvin temperatures were preferred as the color temperature. Colored light was not preferred in weight, except for a few key points that reflect the blue of the sea and orientation of the marina. While the lights of Çeşme Marina show themselves gracefully on the sea, it invites visitors to spend pleasant hours in a warm and friendly atmosphere in warm Aegean evenings.