十一年的敘利亞內戰，導致八百萬難民的流離失所。邊境二公里處的雷伊漢勒市，十萬的土耳其居民，湧入了廿五萬的敘利亞難民。
由於工程款極為拮据，建築師與其團隊說服市府向土耳其軍方購買邊界軍事預鑄混凝土牆。如此可省去建築物的地下基礎工程費用，同時使主體結構抗震、防爆、施工快速且確保工程品質。在政治與社會意義上，用過去阻擋難民、分割兩地的軍事圍牆，轉變成人道設施，來創造一個土、敘兩國人民共榮共享的空間。
在「人道」混凝土牆上，用五片金屬薄板構成一個薄殼結構的標準跨度，形成一個如同阿勒坡大清真寺拱結構大小的建築單元，同時呈現公元1200年前西台帝國石拱券的雙曲線曲度。加上每一個標準單元擁有同樣面對回教聖地麥加的朝向，以及單元與牆體形成合院。因此，在建築構成上，中心如同一座清真寺院。在雷伊漢勒市，無論是土耳其與敘利亞人，每人都是回教徒。回教，是兩國人民的最大公約數。
至今，中心五十二個單元與八個開放空間陸續完成，提供超過五百個婦女工作機會。因為一份穩定的收入，讓她們的小孩上的了學 ，吃得飽飯。中心同時提供免費婦女與小孩音樂、體育、英語、土語、阿拉伯語相關免費課程。
因為來自台灣無私的善意的付出，為這近代史上最嚴重的難民危機，帶來一絲希望。
LOCATION
Reyhanlı is a small city bordering with Syria in the southeastern Turkish province of Hatay. As the main gateway from Turkiye to Aleppo in Syria, the town has become the main entry point for Syrian asylum seekers during the escalating conflicts. Consequently, in the last 11 years, the population of Reyhanlı has nearly triple (from 100,000 to 350,000), progressively absorbing hundreds of thousands of Syrians who do not envisage a restoration of peace in their homeland in the short term.
The Centre’s Vision:
The aim of the Centre is to improve the social cohesion, integration and inclusion between Syrians and Turkish locals. The object of the Centre is to enhance the quality, equality and sustainability of lives onsite by undertaking the following actions:
1.Providing the equal job opportunities to Syrian and Turkish disadvantaged groups of communities with collaborative entrepreneurship; and
2.Providing a series of humanitarian supports and services, as well as educational amenities to the disadvantaged groups of communities onsite.
The Centre’s Design and Architectural features:
1.Low cost, mass production, high efficiency and ensured quality:
By applying a large quantity of prefabricated building elements (pre-cast concrete blocks and folded metal sheets), this aims to lower down the cost and shorten the construction period. By precisely assembling these modular building elements onsite, this further ensures the quality of construction.
2.Walls for shelters, not for border; Walls for humanity, not for military:
The prefabricated concrete blocks were originally intended as the border walls between Syria and Turkey. For the Centre, they were repurposed as the main structural elements and partitions.
3.Living under Islamic vaults:
The folded metal sheets were applied for building a shell roof structure the represents the form of architectural heritage in the Middle- Asia. For example, the size of the shell is similar to the vaulted room in the Great Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, and the shape can be referred to the ancient vault in Hattusa (1200 BC).
4.Transitional shelter embodied with collaborative construction:
The beneficiaries themselves will fill in the space of each unit under the shell roofs, with the supports and management of the organizing team. By building the indoor units together, it provides a chance to build a truly integrated and inclusive community.
5.A modern Islamic monument for humanity:
With the repetitive and analogous building elements and representational built forms and spaces, the Centre echoes the historical arasta, bazaar, caravanserai, madrasa, cami and bedesten. These buildings make the mobility in the olden days possible, which is in line with the Centre’s purpose of serving the ‘guests’ from Syria by the ‘hosts’ in Turkey.
6.A landscape with ruin for new civilization:
The centre is embodied with two linear parks separately aligning with the south and north façade. These two parks featured with large broken stones taken from the border and native plants to represent the ruin as the result of the war in which the Centre is the establishment of the new civilization.
7.Central courtyards and gardens for community:
There are three semi-enclosed courtyards and three gardens located in the middle of the Centre for varied events and activities of diverse groups and users. One courtyard in the near future will be converted into an outdoor concert hall; one will be the outdoor cinema; and the other one will be transformed into an art gallery.
8.Broken and collapsed concrete walls for recreation and education:
Previously broken and abandoned concrete blocks in the town are recycled and applied as the elements for children’s playground onsite – no barriers can stop the mobility of our children!