KARMAworks
BENTO GRI
BUILT PROJECT l CONTROLLERSHIP
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​Period: 2024
Type/Program: Restaurant
Surface: 69.67 m2
Location: Bilkent 2 Park Sitesi / ÇARÅžI
Status: Completed
Photos: Esra Türkmençekiç, Betül Zeynep Böke
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In BENTO, which set out to bring together all the residents of the site and those in the immediate surroundings; To organize events in small spaces, speed, functionality, and hygiene have been adopted as the 3 main design principles. From the outset of the design process, the focus was on gathering a large number of people and ensuring the space's capacity to serve this purpose. Students, faculty members, and employees of nearby Bilkent University constitute a large part of the primary users of the site. With a dynamic space setup that can transform according to summer and winter scenarios, the stainless kitchen and island in the indoor area are fixed and all the remaining furniture is designed to be movable.
Allowing mutual dialogue; An island counter/table, intended to create interaction between the cook and the diner, is placed in the middle of the space, dividing the closed area into two. The closed area consists of a cooking area on one side and a dining area (sitting area) on the other, is separated from each other without any separating elements. The semi-open space on the rear façade is partially heated and used during the winter. In spring and summer, beyond the semi-open areas, users spend time on the grass in the grove in the back north, having their food and drinks.
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DURABLE, FUNCTIONAL FIXED AND MOVABLE FURNITURE / RECYCLED
Material selections were made in accordance with BENTO’s design principles -speed, function, and hygiene-which has a highly social nature and aims to serve many people simultaneously. While easy-to-clean stainless kitchen and ceramic wall surfaces were used on the cooking side, solid wooden islands and tables were used in the dining area. All walls that did not serve a function were left bare by applying gray plaster. It was imagined that the interaction created by the community would warm the space instead of wall objects or artworks. In BENTO, a meeting place, unnecessary details, and elements are avoided, and the users of the space are expected to fill the space inside and define its ambiance. BENTO, which transforms according to the concept of each event, offers users different spatial experiences focused on cuisine and activity.
The large black solid tables in the rear semi-open area and the solid island bench/table in the indoor area are made of reclaimed wood. Thanks to their size, shared tables bring people together and create dialogue. There are toilets for the common use of shops on the lower floor of the Bazaar. For this reason, no toilets were built in the closed area. A hand washing unit has been designed for users in the middle of the steel cabinet system to be used for storage purposes in the rear semi-open area on the side facade. On the opposite side, steel cabinets for storage and wooden shelving systems designed for quick service.
​MIA’S HOME
Mia welcomes visitors at the semi-open front facade in her specially designed hut. Mia's house on wheels also serves as a mobile island for eating and drinking when necessary. The hut's design considered Mia's dimensions, the wind, and the cold of the region in winter. The back and side facades were closed, and the front facade was designed with gaps so that Mia could make visual contact.
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NAVY BLUE
Apart from the solid and raw material colors, the only color used in BENTO is dark blue, which appears in the joints of the ceramics. DARK BLUE color, which stimulates creative activities and enhances abstract skills, has also been used in the grouting of ceramics in the kitchen and has also appeared in BENTO's corporate office.
BENTO, a project initiated for Bilkent 2 Park Site Bazaar to return to its former vibrancy, aims to create a significant impact in a small space. Since the day it was opened, it has been accumulating more memories day by day, on its way to becoming a gathering place with its innovative cuisine and event-oriented approach. The space transforms according to seasons and events and offers different experiences to users each time.
