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SITE ANALYSIS Project Thesis: Creating an inclusive place that encourages opportunities for interactions of diverse individuals through all levels of society. Incorporating principles that promote the cultivation of ideas and embrace new socio-cultural relationships. Through the establishment of a natural ecosystem, cultural preservation and infusion, integration of new security measures, and enhanced connectivity and integration with the City, Taksim Square will be restored to its vibrant, dynamic, and diverse urban identity.
Initial Sketch
Nodes and Paths Sketch
The location of Taksim Square is at the heart of the city making it a common gathering place for locals and tourists alike. From the site analysis we recognized the diversity of land uses surrounding the site and wanted to design a site that brought these various uses together around a communal square. We began by identifying important nodes. Areas that had high traffic, high interest, or were culturally significant. We broke down the outside influence into four main categories: Education, Cultural, Social, and Commercial. These four categories guided the atmosphere for each section and design principles. From here we developed the diagonal paths between the nodes that embraced the cities fragmentation and used the paths as defining connections instead. Using the university, library, future cultural facility, and the metro entrances as key outside influences we developed three main areas of the site. The boulevard, located along the west edge of the site, would become the commercial food truck center. The social-cultural area, outside the future cultural center, would include a stage, shaded seating and provide an opportunity for activities and festivals to flow inside and out. The quieter, more secluded seating is up towards the university and library, designed to be an educational outdoor study area away from the busyness of tourists and the social square. The tree density here provides a cooler, peaceful escape for conversation and reflection.
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MASTER PLAN and PRINCIPLES
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Urban Fabric Connectivity - Promote Safety - Ecosystem Regeneration - Cultural Preservation - Social Adaptation - Economic Benefits
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URBAN CONNECTIVITY
North-South Section
The history behind the name ‘Taksim’ lead to one of the major themes within our site; water. The square historically was the main water distribution site for the city and this lead to the many ways we bring water forward within the design. Preserving and enhancing the local culture within the site was important to give the square a sense of place, unique identity, and increase the connectivity between the community and place. The design is meant to provide diverse venue options for different community members to enjoy and feel at peace. Materials within the site are designed to all be locally sourced. The pavers are to be large pieces of local travertine and marble while the planters are local wood. On the shade structures there is a pattern of a Islamic motif cut to shine the pattern onto the stone and bring the sites history forward. East-West Section
Within the park ramps are to be added alongside the stairs to increase accessibility as well as providing entrances for bicycles to travel through the park paths. All walkways within the park are made wide enough to accommodate 2 wheelchairs and pedestrian traffic, and main arterial paths will have designated bicycle and walking sides.
Vegetation
ECOSYSTEMS- INFRASTRUCTURE Throughout the site we have introduced an abundance of sustainable systems, mainly centered around the collection and redistribution of water. In our initial site analysis, we studied rain patterns in the city, flooding, and natural disasters to understand how our site can best assist the city’s infrastructure. The goal is to use the water collected through the newly implemented green systems to maintain the added trees and plants throughout the site but also not add any additional stress on the city’s water infrastructure. The permeable pavement will assist on that matter while also working with the additional tree shade planted to reduce the urban heat island affect on the site. Along Mete cd. there are hard barriers lining the site, such as high retaining walls around the hotel and library. To soften these barriers and make the site entrances along this side more inviting we have added bioswales and rain gardens. Along the boulevard we have added a water fountain feature that provides a serene connection to water for people to enjoy around their meals.
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SAFETY
Lighting Strategy Map
To address the concern of safety on the site we began by looking at the 24-hour use of the site, specifically when the sun was down. First and foremost, we designed a new lighting strategy that would provide more lighting at a human level as well as in key locations. Currently, this square has towering lights that have widen illumination. In addition to these we added new lighting posts that are 8 feet tall and line all pathways within the park and square as well as around furniture clusters. Furthermore, all benches within the park are designed with built in ground lighting. The different levels and sizes of lighting are designed for different aspects at atmospheres of the site. Within the park, trees are elevated into planters to provide clear sight-lines; the bus parking is relocated to be directly off Mete Cd. instead of travelling through the park as previously designed, to limit the crossover of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Bollards along the edges of the site also aid in protecting the two different streams of traffic and become illuminated at night to identify the edge. Lastly, large, coloured shade structures are places within the site at key locations, the monument, fountain, and boulevard, to act as way-finders.
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DIAGRAMS
Street Perspective
Park Perspective
Boulevard Diagram
Monument Perspective
Shade Structure Diagram
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MATERIALS The furniture within the site is designed to be brightly coloured, lively, and cheerful. Whether benches or tables and chairs, they are designed to be circular or round to limit people having their backs to each other and therefore promote meetings and conversation. The tables and chairs in the cultural area can become movable in the event of festivals to open up the square. Within the square groups of new trees will be planted t provide additional shade outside the park and comfortable seating areas protected from the sun. The boulevard, lined with food trucks and seating, will draw from local businesses for lunch while also providing space for tourists to experience the culture through food and meet and mingle with locals.
https://www.archiexpo.com/prod/vv/product-160045-2014106.html
Travertine Tile
Vancouver Art Gallery plaza
Marble Tile
Tianjin Qiaoyuan Park by Turenscape Landscape Architects
ORGANIZATION CHART Team Lead Urbanist/Community Planner/Landscape Architect VISION LEAD Team Member 2 Public Realm/Open Space Strategist URBAN DESIGN LEAD Team Member 3 Urban Strategist/ Research & Analysis CULTURE AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT LEAD Team Member 4 Architecture / Community & Urban Form HUMAN CENTRIC DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY LEAD
Zollhallen Plaza by Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl