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Designing the Void
Current Situation Taksim district has numerous interferences, through the years by the needs and desires of the community and space. Every revision in recent years shivered the integrity of the physical space. Especially the last move that took almost all the motorized circulation under the ground, although a positive development, erased all the borders, history, and memory of the space. The main problems of the space are the lack of orientation in the vastness, the disconnections on the human scale, and the missing memories and history of the place.
Extending Gezi to the ‘original borders’ The actual land use of the site is formed by H. Prost, after the demolishment of the ‘Taksim Artillery Barracks’ for the sake of transforming an obsolete building into a public space, for Taksim Square plan and a continuous green infrastructure for the city. Named as ‘Gezi Park’, offering a loop trail surrounded by strict tree rows on the exterior, and more monumental hardcovered piazza inside, which considered the issues of re-arranging the logic of the original space use of the Historical Gezi Park Plan, in the first proposal.
Re-shaping ‘Cumhuriyet Street’ and Square ‘Taksim Republic Monument’ had been placed in a very particular space in 1928, which had a centric position and formed a physical square in a roundabout and axial connections with the surroundings, that also changed within time, and became an island in an ocean with the latest pedestrianization revision that implemented in 2013. Proposal offering the ‘re-creating Cumhuriyet Street’ which is a very important part of the ‘Istanbul Trade Axis’ by using the lines of the past, blending with the new connections to scaling both Monument and Taksim Squares.
Arranging Functional Urban Voids Proposal sustains programmable and flexible spaces for triggering public use, besides re-generating the urban void. ‘Taksim Square’ with a natural podium from park direction can be used for bigger events outside daily use, and ‘Gezi Courtyard’ would be the new heart of Taksim, which surrounded a new pedestrian trail ‘Gezi Skywalk’ encouraging people to visit various functions and events, from sports to concerts, festivals to exhibitions, during all seasons of the year. Park would be a new social and cultural hub for the city.
site plan 1/2000
TAKSIM FOR ALL! a grid for the city
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TAKSIM FOR ALL! a grid for the city
The design provides an urban life enriched with multiplicity and collectivity. It creates a common ground for differences and a wide range of experiences. The grid is universal yet editable to its pieces, thus the design does not impose programs, it only offers possibilities. The grid is used as a design tool for creating patchworks and connections.
Taksim Square represents democracy more than any other place in the city. A universal grid works as the ultimate equalizer yet it doesn’t eliminate the differences rather it allows room for change. The Scale: Human Centered Design The Grid design for Taksim Squre works on many levels and tackling the scale issue is one of them. While the large scale of the urban squares has a positive effect in the city, it can be uncomfortable for people who are generally used to human and street scale. Grid creates 5 m x 5 m partitions on the surface of the square, additionally the pattern creates even smaller planes, this way human centered design is ensured.
TAKSIM FOR ALL! a grid for the city
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to the urban gardens
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cultural axis ceylan hotel
library terraces
gezi glowing garden
ataturk library
lunch break
stage akm
gezi terraces
open-air office
central plane
open-air classes
gezi pavilion space energy garden
gezi terraces
public forum
skywalk upper square gezi steps
gezi steps
parade road new cumhuriyet street
historical gezi steps
high garden sunken garden light boxes ataturk cultural center
taksim sqauare
square steps
square garden metro exit
metro exit
republic monument
media waterfall
marmara hotel maksem memory museum
TAKSIM FOR ALL! istiklal plane garden
a grid for the city
library square
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SKYWALK restoring the heart of gezi Skywalk is designed to vitalize Gezi Park and create visual and physical connections with its surroundings. It stands out as an an elegant yet powerful structure with a sense of collectivity.
TAKSIM FOR ALL! a grid for the city
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strolling through the parade road
an evening concert at parade road
Underground bus station regeneration, a brand-new take in urban experience.
TAKSIM FOR ALL! a grid for the city
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enjoying time at the historical gezi trail
a lunch break at the Bosphorus lookout
turning back to childhood in gezi garden
TAKSIM FOR ALL! a grid for the city