SD27P518
01/15
TAKSIM SQUARE AS A PORTAL TO ISTANBUL’S PUBLIC REALM Taksim Square is of huge importance, as it shapes a wide range of activities such as politics, trade, arts, religion and social life. In this regard, Taksim has been vital to the development of modern urban life in Istanbul. Taksim is one of the important intersections of the global and the local in Istanbul, and during every period, it has been the square, or “place for everyone and everything”. It has served as a platform for the public’s self-expression throughout all periods, and over time, it has become the city’s most important square, where different sections of society are able to feel at home.
Since the 19th century, Taksim has been one of the few places where the city dweller can breathe, while on the other hand, due to its symbolic location and representative aspect, it has been perceived, during every period since the founding of the Republic, as a tool of signification where governments have displayed their power via the space. The square is placed in the boundary between the green lung that starts in the north of Istambul and intersects with the most central point of the city, becoming a space of transition. A change in the space has been started since the traffic was relocated underground, providing more free space for people, but now it’s time to define this open area.