Ulus İş Hanı

About Ulus İş Hanı

Ulus İş Hanı, also known as Ulus İşhanı ve Çarşısı, is a business and shopping complex on Ulus Square in Ankara's old centre. Wikipedia describes it as one of the city's landmark buildings: its blocks frame the square where the Victory Monument (Zafer Anıtı) stands and form a backdrop to the statue. The complex was built to meet the growing demand for new offices and shops in Ankara in the 1950s. It was designed through a 1952 architectural competition held by the Emekli Sandığı (the state pension fund), which was won by Orhan Bolak, Orhan Bozkurt and Gazanfer Beken. Construction began in 1955 and was carried out by Emek İnşaat together with the German firm Dyckerhoff und Widmann. The low blocks facing the courtyards opened in 1960, and the tall block was completed in 1963. The building is arranged as seven blocks around two courtyards. It is regarded as one of the first examples of international modernism in Turkey, with features of the rational-international period such as aluminium window frames, large glazed surfaces and prismatic volumes. Today the tall block is used by the youth and sports administration, while the low-rise blocks around the courtyards are used for commerce. For visitors it is worth combining with a walk around Ulus Square, the neighbouring Ulus Şehir Çarşısı and the older bazaars of Ulus.