thesis

beginnings

Spanning from September 2012 to May 2013, The fifth and final year of my studies in Architecture & Design is a comprehensive catalogue of research, development, process and execution of a proposal for Istanbul based at an urban scale framework.

The visit to Istanbul coincided with an extensive documentation of data and landmark visits, but yet, it cultivated into something far more than just that. The visit was a crucial understanding of a new city, more so, understanding the people of this city and attempting to formulate something tangible from solely observations was the greatest task within my visit. Although time was spent meandering within its intimate streets and alleys, observing people go about their days between work, leisure and prayer; the surface was merely grazed by my own perceptions during this excursion.

observations

To be able to understand the current struggles that the city of Istanbul had been going through, one must look at the people and hear their voices. The people of Istanbul are under strong dictation of the current government, ruled by Justice and Development Party, where any kind of attempts to express personal freedoms, share knowledge, ideas or professional experiences are neglected by the authorities. 

Istanbul the city of intersections, finds itself yet again at another intersection, this time as The City of Arguments. The rapidly transformed areas against cemented histories, people of Istanbul and their desires for true democracy against the ruling party, traditions against trends... What is more important or need to be recognized is that most of these issues and topics are not discussed. The reasons behind the arguments become stagnant subjects, stagnant subjects become issues that are easier to neglect. 

potentials

Taksim Square has the potential to become a destination when thinking surrounding programs and pedestrian traffic on site. Lack of communication between the immediate context elements can be mediated by acknowledging secondary influences that exist on site such as faculty buildings of Istanbul Technical University, distinctive cultural buildings along Istiklal Avenue which attracts millions of people per day. These influences can be pulled towards Taksim Gezi Park as ways to house different programs, and provide accessibility to the park.

Study Model

Study Model

proposal

The Social Stage of Taksim Square seeks to address and mediate 5 issues that the current park fails to address and accommodate

1// The scale problem of the site 
(vertically + horizontally)
2// Edge conditions of Taksim Gezi Park 
(accessibility, visibility and definition issues)
3// Distinct program elements which seems to have lost physical and programmatic connections to one another 
(Ataturk Culture Center, Ataturk Library, Istiklal Avenue, Street to Park relations)
4// Cluster of Transportation means 
(Subway, bus, taxi cab stations, waiting areas)
5// Green Space / Open Space 
(Park, landscaping, vegetation, seating, gathering)

Social Stage of Taksim // Addressing Scale // 
The current Taksim Gezi Park struggles to find a place within context mainly because it does not engage with the Taksim Square, physically and directly; its edges are occupied by heavy traffic, bus +cab stations; unorganized commercial/retail stores as well as Ceylan Intercontinental, Marmara Hotels have a strong presence over the Park + the Square because of their immense scales. Not only the green spaces of the park have limited seating, access and lack efficiency when thinking program. 

The Social Stage of Taksim; re-thinks the physical, programmatic scales of these elements and while keeping the diverse character of the environment; it re-introduces, re-organizes each entity in 
4 distinct Valve Zones. These zones while addressing different social needs, personal freedoms such as: 

1// Freedom of Speech
2// Freedom of Expression
3// Freedom of Religion
4// Freedom of Education/Knowledge

​- houses open and enclosed program elements woven with and into the landscape. 

Each zone which has one tower, three study pavilions, one outdoor theater offers spaces for sharing knowledge, ideas, learning as well as green areas for release of tension and stress that the residents of 21st century cities suffer today. 

While these zones and their elements break up the scale of the park surface horizontally, the towers mediate the vertical scale difference between Marmara and Intercontinental hotels by creating visual + programmatic focal points within the park level. Differing scales of open + enclosed program elements ranging from small, medium and large footprints, offer spaces of encounter and can house larger groups, assemblies if needed. 

addressing program

Social Stage of Taksim // Addressing Program // 

While the edge pavilions continue the street life along Cumhuriyet and Mete Avenues, the park level offers spaces for sharing knowledge, ideas and learning as well as green areas for release of tension and stress.

The four towers located along the edges of each zone, are not only means to access to the park from the street level but also down below where the Taksim Subway Station is located. They will not only bring people from the streets but also engage with the subterranean ground, allowing access directly from below. 

While there are 4 towers, they are paired and designed to accommodate different needs as “Urban Towers” and “Park Towers”. 

Park Towers continue the green spaces of the park level vertically both inside and outside (vertical garden walls) housing café’s, sports facilities, play grounds woven with landscape. They are designed as semi-open structures allowing views of the park with observation terraces/decks in different levels.

Urban Towers on the other hand are strategically located aim to re-activate and use the potential of the surrounding context elements/buildings/channels such as Ataturk Culture Center, Ataturk Library and Istiklal Avenue which can have more presence within this area considering their proximity, historical and cultural values. 

The Urban Towers house cinemas, exhibition galleries, live performance halls, libraries; open terraces where the context elements not only become part of the human experience with their views but also can have visual and programmatic dialogs/relationships with these new entities. 

Istiklal Tower offers views to Istiklal Avenue, Ataturk Culture Center and marks the entry to Taksim Subway Station, whereas Bosporus Tower looks over Ataturk Library and out to Bosporus and the bridges connecting Europe to Asia.

VALVE 4 // FREEDOM OF KNOWLEDGE

VALVE 3 // FREEDOM OF RELIGION

VALVE 2 // FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

VALVE 1 // FREEDOM OF SPEECH

addressing open space

One of the challenges of the site is how to design, program and keep the existing characters of Taksim Square + Taksim Gezi Park as open space + green space. 

If Taksim Square is the “heart” of Istanbul,
Taksim Gezi Park can certainly be seen as the “lungs” of the city. It is a place where not only the art and culture beats but also a place where people show their frustrations, share joy as well as pride. Because of these reasons Taksim Square is the ultimate destination from New Year’s Eve celebrations to national parades as well as social gatherings and demonstrations. Furthermore, Taksim Gezi Park is one of the very few green spots that are left in the urban core where keeping the park as a park/green space/open space is the out most priority for the Social Stage of Taksim. 

For these reasons program elements, their architectural formation, language and integration/engagement with the landscape were thought carefully in the project. From how the edges engage with the streets to how the green space spills out and on to sidewalks; to how the main circulation corridor takes people from east to west and north to south.

Landscape was not an afterthought in the design process but it was the element that stitched/weaved all open and enclosed programs of
​The Social Stage of Taksim. Where people can escape from the fast phase beat of the city, to where they can sit down, relax, read, eat and enjoy the environment alone or together. 

SECTION A // A

SECTION B // B

SECTION C // C

SECTION D // D

additional works :

photographic essay

​İstanbul day book journal 

the social stage of taksim square causerie

precedent analysis : les halles, paris