Turkey's Presidential Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall Officially Opens After Decades of Planning

Turkey's Presidential Symphony Orchestra concert hall has officially opened after decades of planning, Metropolis reports.

Planning began on the building in 1992, when the local architecture firm Uygur Mimarlık won the national open call to design the nation's only presidential music hall.

"I still remember hand-cutting pieces for the model and drawing the sketches with a pair of compasses," the firm's cofounder Semra Uygur said.

The country struggled with a recession and political turmoil causing the cultural prospects to take a backseat over the years.

Ground was broken on the project in 1997 but a series of budget cuts and changing priorities in the government caused delays. Three years ago, the project got another kickstart, and now it is finally complete.

"We are thrilled to be located within proximity to the memorial and the Ankara Castle, and our design strategy prioritizes vistas of both monuments," says Semra Uygur.

The larger of the auditoriums can accommodate up to 2,000 guests, but due to COVID-19 regulations, a grand unveiling is currently on hold.

Read more on Metropolis.

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