The Dogan Printing Centre was purpose-built as a printing house and regional distribution base for the newspapers and magazines of the Dogan Media Group. The Dogan Group is a leading media enterprise in Turkey, publishing three national daily newspapers and numerous magazines. Recently the group signed an agreement with Cable News Network (CNN) to provide a regional televised service in Turkish. It is the most highly developed printing operation in Turkey, and caters for the capital, Ankara, and the central Anatolian region. The centre is located on the outskirts of Ankara, near Esenboga Airport. This close proximity helps facilitate distribution operations and the handling of incoming supplies.
The building has become a widely recognized landmark on the rural landscape. It is generally lit at night due to the late printing shift. The centre complex spreads out over a large site that enjoys a commanding view of the open countryside around. The main part of the building is laid out on two floors. This forms the basic mass of the project, at a height of 9.5 metres. The central part of this mass, housing the printing hall, towers over the basic mass to a height of 17.8 metres. Other vertical elements are the entrance tower, located on the north side of the building, at a height of 18 metres, and two vertical circulation blocks on the western façade that rise to a height of 13.8 metres. The building has an overall covered area of 15,000 square metres. This is spread out horizontally, mainly on two floors; the ground floor occupies an area of 10,500 square metres. The total covered area constitutes 20 per cent of the site area of 74,000 square metres. The large paper bobbin store occupies around 50 per cent of the total covered area.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
See also:
"Dogan Printing Center." Tabanlioglu Architects, Official Website.
http://www.tabanlioglu.com.tr/media2.html. [Accessed January 12, 2007]
