Surgical Instruments and Health Museum

Locomotive Maintenance and Repair Workshop as part of TCDD (Turkish State Railways), one of the early Republican period buildings, located in Ilkadim district of Samsun, was restored and re-functionalized. The existing building was decided to be converted into the Surgical Instruments and Health Museum, with the scenography of the exhibition, the design of all spaces and exhibition design. The Surgical Instruments and Health Museum was opened to visitors on December 3, 2021.

Samsun, which has been producing surgical instruments since the 1980s, is now Turkey's medical and surgical instrument production center. It is aimed to create the content of the exhibition in this context and to convey the development of surgical instruments from the past to the present. While creating the context of the exhibition, it is aimed to convey the knowledge of medicine and anatomy, the development of surgery in history, and the development and transformation of surgical hand instruments together with technology. In the design of the exhibition in accordance with the restoration decisions, it is aimed to preserve and emphasize the contextual and structural data that have survived from the past to the building was used as a repair workshop. In addition, the other design approach is to convey the collective memory to the visitor through the spatial design of the museum functions. 

The building has a total area of 1200 m2, consists of a ground floor and a mezzanine floor which is brought with the restoration decision, and circulation is provided by steel stairs. Exhibition sections, cafe, museum shops and other areas are located on the ground floor, while administrative units/offices and workshop/meeting and conference rooms are located on the mezzanine floor. 

Inside, the existing wagon repair axis is maintained to form the main structure of the exhibition. The exhibition system, which forms the backbone of the present function while connecting with the past of the building, continues along a single axis and changes and transforms in relation to with the content of the information to be conveyed. On the exhibition system there are museum showcases on which the objects to be exhibited, with pedestals, information boards and interactive information areas presented with screens. While the anatomy and surgical instruments sections, which form the basis of surgery, continue along this spine, the presence of surgery in the history of medicine, the animation of surgical operation and surgical instruments sections produced in Samsun spread to the periphery and transform the entire ground floor into an exhibition area.

On the mezzanine floor, there is a foyer and a special area for workshops, talks and events that can be held in parallel with the exhibition. Administrative units and offices are also located on the mezzanine floor and accessed by an independent staircase. 

Considering sustainability and flexibility of production, natural materials were preferred throughout the exhibition and furniture designs. Metal sheet was used as the main material of the exhibition system in the middle axis, alongside natural wood and marble were used in the built-in-furniture. In the exhibition design, the color of the existing steel was continued in accordance with the industrial character of the building and the exhibition, situated on the existing repair axis, was ensured that the exhibition to be perceived as a whole with the building.

Design Team: Kadir Uyanık, Maksat Recepbayew, Dicle B. Özdemir
Project Team: Damla Çolakoğlu
Client: Middle Black Sea Development Agency
Contractor: Ranuna Construction

Content Advisor: Haluk Perk