The Dakar Arena which is located in Senegal is a multipurpose sports hall with a 15.000 visitors capacity. The total closed area is 35.000 sqm. The venue offers a relationship with the city by implementing an urban plaza as a meeting point and an event space for inhabitants.
The rich and colorful local culture is the main inspiration of the design of the Arena. Many prominent aspects of African culture, including fashion, handicraft, work of art and traditional local dwellings with their unique motifs, patterns, use of colors give the main identity to the building. All these aspects are combined and reflected in the materiality of the architecture of the building. Variety of locally inspired colors and patterns standout in the facades. The selected colors derive from the flag of Senegal and they follow a rhythm while functioning as sunshades. While the colors are irregularly placed horizontally, their sizes decrease vertically towards the roof. This organization brings dynamism to the facade. With the elliptical shape of the building and the perpendicular placement of these elements, the facade gives different levels of transparency from different angles. The particular shape of the sunshades is inspired from the local leafs. These sunshades are used in order to create stratification in the plan. They mark the border between the exterior podium and internal circulation of the spectators. On the other hand, foyer back wall is characterized by a white clean surface. Reflections of the colorful leaves on the facade shine upon the white walls of the main circulation space, giving color to the space and signaling the motion of the sun throughout the day. The color works as a catalyst, enhancing the integrity of the volume and building the overall idea. The visual movement of the facade turns color into a performance element. The local context is also characterized by taking inspiration from colorful salt field sands and paintings. Starting from the podium, the surrounding rings around the elliptical building is placed consecutively as rings in a salt painting.
The tribunes are designed via the development of parabolic sections in order to present an equal angle of vision for each audience member. Although the building is designed mainly for sports activities, such as basketball, tennis, boxing, etc., it can also host such cultural activities as concerts and congresses; thus it bears the potential of becoming an incubator for urban vibrancy. It meets all the design criteria put forth by FIBA (International Basketball Federation). Trucks can come into the main play ground to maximize the service capability and multipurpose potential of the building. Furthermore, it follows universal design principles so that the disabled, the elderly, and families with children can easily access and circulate throughout the building. Different entrances such as spectators, team, service, truck, press, Vip, sponsors, management entrances to the building are provided and they are separated both in plan and section in order not to mix with each other and have an ease of circulation. 981 carparks and 30 disabled carparks are provided in the complex.
Dakar Arena, with its multipurpose facilities, its spatial, visual, social potentials is aimed to contribute to the urban life and architecture.
Founded in 2003 by Kerem Yazgan and Begüm Yazgan, both PhD. Architects, Yazgan Design Architecture Inc. is an architectural, interior, landscape and graphic design firm based in Ankara, Turkey. With an experienced staff of 35 architects, landscape designers, technical draftsmen, graphic designers and IT experts, the company has signed on to many architectural, interior design and landscape projects. With over 6.000.000 square meters in total projects located in both Turkey and a number of other countries, the portfolio of Yazgan Design Architecture continues to grow and diversify.The company has the capacity to create projects of different programs and scales that cover conceptual, design development and construction phases. Mixed-use buildings, retail, hotel, residential, office, educational buildings, hospitals, cultural centers, airports, and sport complexes are some of the building typologies that comprise the company portfolio.