Alper Derinboğaz

Alper Derinboğaz (Turkish pronunciation: [alpæɾ deɾiɲboːaz]; born in 1982) is a Turkish architect, and founder of Salon Alper Derinboğaz. The practice was recognised as one of Archdaily’s Best Young Practices of 2020. Derinboğaz represented Turkey in its debut year at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014 with the installation Modalities of the Spontaneous, an investigation of the urban transformation of Istanbul.

Career
Derinboğaz graduated from Istanbul Technical University in 2005 and received the Fulbright scholarship to study at UCLA, where he won the Graduate Award for his master’s studies. He founded Salon Alper Derinboğaz while working in Los Angeles.

In 2019, he was selected as one of the 40 Under 40 architects of Europe by The European Center. Later, his office was named a "Best Young Practice" in 2020 by Archdaily. He is frequently invited to events as a speaker and his works have been published and exhibited in global art and architectural publications. He also teaches architectural and urban design studios as an adjunct professor.

Work
Derinboğaz's projects vary from large scale cultural institutions to art installations and masterplans. His work investigates the possibilities of the physical environment through the relationship between space and time. According to Chris Van Uffelen, his work breaks up conventional thinking to create innovative and flexible design solutions. Derinboğaz defines his practise as an intent to create continuities between human, space and the earth in his book project where he gathers his research since 2011. In 2014, his work “Modalities of the Spontaneous” was exhibited in the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale as part of the Turkish Pavilion, Places of Memory. This work was a series of reliefs generated through an investigation into the transformation of urban texture in the Levent district in Istanbul. Starting from the idea that the Turkish largest city has grown “spontaneously” over time, Derinboğaz questioned how the underlying geographic and socio-economic background shaped the evolution of the city in the last 100 years and possibly will go on to do so in the future. Derinboğaz's museum works are mostly characterised by social dialogue and contextual understanding. The most significant of these is the Museum of Istanbul project that is located next to the UNESCO listed Theodosian Land Walls in İstanbul. This building aims to link land walls to the modern transportation hub in the Topkapi area, seeking to activate a public space that connects the history of the city with contemporary society. His adaptive re-use project Fitaş Passage is completed in 2019, located in İstiklal Avenue which is a vibrant pedestrian axis in Istanbul. This project reclaims an historic arcade space while seeking a new relationship with the avenue. The facade of the building is designed with angled vertical panels by considering the perceived view while walking on the street. These vertical facade elements, reminiscent of the historic vertical signboards, aim to create a spatial interactivity between building and street.

Notable Projects

 * Modalities of the Spontaneous, Pavilion of Turkey at la Biennale di Venezia, Venice 2014
 * Museum of Istanbul, Istanbul
 * Fitaş Passage, Istanbul, 2019
 * Augmented Structures v1.1, Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts Centre, Istanbul 2011
 * Villa Topos, Çeşme, İzmir, (completed 2021)
 * Learning Sky Library, Songdo, South Korea 2021
 * Green HUB Masterplan, Antalya
 * Stoa House, Istanbul, (completed 2017)
 * Science Island, Kaunas, Lithuania, 2016

Books

 * 2021, Geoscapes (ed. Emmy Bacharach), (asst. ed. Emre Taş)
 * 2018, Upwind (ed. Turkay, B.), (designer; Gürevin, A.)
 * 2014, Places of Memory (ed. Derviş, P.), Conversation (Luca Molinari in conversation with A.Altay, A.Derinboğaz, P.Derviş, M.Özcan, C.Şişman, M.Tabanlıoğlu, A.Taptık, S.Taycan), pp. 6–80, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Istanbul
 * 2011, My City (eds. Açıkkol, Ö. & Yersel, S.), Alper Derinboğaz, Panorama için Mimari Tasarım (interview) pp. 124–131, British Council, Istanbul
 * 2010, City Index Elefsina (ed. Antonopoulou, E.), Float’d Project, pp. 116–121, School of Architecture Technical University of Athens, Athens

Recognitions

 * 2020 Archdaily Best Young Practices Award
 * 2019 Europe 40 Under 40 Selection, Architecture, The European Center
 * 2011 Young Architect of the Year Award by Arkitera
 * 2008 UCLA School of Architecture Graduate Award
 * 2008 Fulbright Award

Awards

 * 2021 Memorial Design for Pandemics and Health Labourers Competition, Second Prize
 * 2021 Songdo Library International Design Competition, Honorable Mention
 * 2020 Istanbul's Cemetery Design Competition (Cihat Burak) 1st Prize
 * 2020 Meles Stream as Ecological Corridor Urban Design Competition, Winner of 1st Prize
 * 2020 Golden Horn Waterfront Design Competition, 1st Mention
 * 2020 Velux Bringing Light to Life Award, Chinimachin Museum
 * 2019 Young Architects Selection & Exhibition, The Circle
 * 2018 Green Good Design Awards, Winner, Chicago Athenaeum (Antalya GreenHUB Masterplan)
 * 2017 German Design Awards, Winner, German Design Council (Parkopera)
 * 2017 World Architecture Awards, Winner (Parkopera)
 * 2016 International Contest for the New National Science and Innovation Center Honorable Mention
 * 2016 World Architecture Awards Winner (Office Central)
 * 2016 WAF Finalist (Parkopera)
 * 2016 Valley of Life International Competition, 3th Prize
 * 2015 International Architizer A+ Award Special Mention
 * 2015 Parkopera, National Competition Winner of 1st Mention
 * 2015 Beylikduzu Valley and Bridge National Competition Winner of Mention
 * 2011 Best Buildings of 2011 by Arkiv (Augmented Structures, Gate, Panorama)
 * 2006 SMD “S.O.S. Istanbul Seashores Renewal Competition”, 1st Prize
 * 2005 International Europan8 “Renewal For Which Inhabitants?”, Antalya Kepez (TU), National Chapter
 * 2005 Turkey Architecture Association Success Award
 * 2004 UIA “Celebrating Cities International Competition”, Jury Great Prize