A submission in a competition to win the design of the new 95m high Airport Traffic Control Tower in Istanbul, this architectural oddity takes inspiration from the seagulls of Istanbul and Turkey’s ancient pottery and textile industries. Seagulls and flight are expressed through the aerodynamic form and neck of the structure that appears to barely touch the ground. The main body is more moulded than sculpted as a reminder of Turkey’s great pottery tradition. The final element is the detail of a loom in the form of delicate horizontal layers of “woven skin” around the building.

Designer: RMJM Istanbul