Location
Yalova, Turkey
Built Area
79,680 m²
Date
2020
Type
Shopping Mall + Hotel
Yalova Mall
Yalova Mall is a visionary mixed-use development designed by Ammar Al Kahwahji Architecture in Yalova, Turkey.
combining a contemporary shopping mall and a luxury hotel within a unified architectural vision. Located in Yalova, Turkey, the project occupies nearly 80,000 square meters and redefines the relationship between architecture, landscape, and public life.
Project Facts
- Project Name: Yalova Mall
- Location: Yalova, Turkey
- Built Area: 79,680 m²
- Project Type: Mixed-Use Development (Shopping Mall + Hotel)
- Date: 2020
- Architect: Ammar Al Kahwahji Architecture
Project Information
Yalova Mall is a visionary mixed-use project designed by Ammar Al Kahwahji Architecture, integrating a modern shopping mall and a luxury hotel into a single, cohesive architectural form. The project brings together retail, hospitality, and public spaces, forming a continuous urban landscape that connects the city’s edge with its surrounding greenery.
By transforming the site’s linear geometry into a dynamic architectural organism, the design merges structure, circulation, and nature into an integrated spatial experience. The project establishes a new benchmark for mixed-use development in Turkey, emphasizing both urban vitality and environmental sensitivity.
Site Strategy and Design Approach
The masterplan responds directly to the site’s topography, shaping the buildings in a linear yet sculptural configuration that maximizes daylight, visual permeability, and spatial connectivity. Rather than imposing a single monolithic volume, the project unfolds across the landscape through a sequence of terraces and platforms.
A network of pedestrian ramps, elevated walkways, and landscaped decks weaves through the development, linking the shopping mall, hotel, and open plazas into one continuous flow. Green roofs and stepped outdoor spaces extend the natural ground plane vertically, reinforcing the connection between architecture and terrain.
Architecture and Materiality
The architectural language of Yalova Mall is defined by horizontality, fluidity, and rhythmic repetition. The hotel tower anchors the main entrance with softly rounded edges and a seamless glass façade, acting as a vertical landmark within the overall composition.
The mall podium unfolds across terraced levels, embracing the landscape and shaping an inviting public plaza. Warm-toned stone cladding, textured concrete surfaces, and reflective glazing establish a contemporary yet natural material palette. At night, integrated architectural lighting emphasizes stairs, bridges, and façades, enhancing both safety and spatial character.
Spatial Experience and Circulation
Movement is central to the spatial concept of Yalova Mall. Pedestrian circulation is organized across multiple levels through ramps and bridges, allowing continuous movement between indoor and outdoor environments.
A central courtyard functions as an active urban core, incorporating trees, seating areas, and amphitheater-like steps for social interaction. The hotel connects seamlessly with the retail and plaza zones, encouraging interaction between commercial and hospitality programs while maintaining clear spatial hierarchy.
Sustainability and Environmental Design
Sustainability is embedded within the architectural DNA of the project. Extensive green roofs reduce heat gain, manage rainwater, and create usable outdoor spaces for visitors and guests.
Natural ventilation strategies and optimized daylight penetration minimize energy consumption throughout the complex. Shaded walkways, vegetation, and landscape elements generate a comfortable microclimate, while efficient circulation zoning separates pedestrian, service, and vehicular access to ensure smooth operation and safety.
Design Philosophy
Yalova Mall reflects the core philosophy of Ammar Al Kahwahji Architecture—architecture conceived as an evolving landscape. The project moves beyond the conventional shopping mall typology, transforming into a living framework that integrates commerce, leisure, and environmental awareness.
Through its terraced geometry, human-centered circulation, and seamless relationship with the landscape, Yalova Mall becomes a multi-level public experience and a contemporary architectural statement within the urban fabric of Yalova.
