TAKSIM SQUARE: [UN]BEATING HEART OF ISTANBUL Known as the heart of modern Istanbul, Taksim square is a space of flows, intersection, expression and confrontation. It is a modern city centre with multi-faceted, multi-layered and multi-scale characters. Its unique geographical location on a high plateau has made the Taksim square a memorable landmark for the city. Taksim is a place for social, cultural and political confrontations. As a place for social participation, Taksim has always hosted a diversity of social, economic, ethnic, gender and age groups. Moreover, it is a terrain for political practices in which citizens fight for their right to the city, freedom, and democracy. During much of its existence, Taksim has been an important venue for political and social protests. In this regard, Taksim symbolizes the unification and solidarity of the nation, notion of republic, and global and local representation and public expression. As the main art/enter-
tainment/cultural hotspot of the city, Taksim has the highest concentration of high-quality educational institutions, hotels and tourist facilities. Istiklal Street and Culture Valley are also integral and inseparable components of the square, identifying its unique urban feature. Embracing various cultural, social and commercial functions, Taksim square is a popular destination not only for native population but also for the flood of tourists who annually visit Istanbul. As a major transportation hub, Taksim connects different segments of the city together. It, therefore, functions as a dominant convergence and divergence hub within the city. Taksim is located adjacent to the biggest remaining green space in the dense fabric of Istanbul’s downtown with a fragile environment. This has make Taksim a meeting point of dense pedestrian flows with the urban green.
ISTANBUL
BLACK SEA ASIA
EUROPE
MARMARA
TURKEY, TRANSCONTINENTAL COUNTRY IN EURASIA
ISTANBUL, CITY BETWEEN CONTINENTS
TAKSIM, INTERSECTION BETWEEN GLOBAL AND LOCAL FLOWS
MULTISCALE INTERSECTION POINT OF FLOWS
Istanbul is a transcontinental mega city which stretches over two continents and creates linkage between Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. The historical city centre of Istanbul reflects the cultural influences of former empires who once ruled the city. In a close vicinity of the historical core, a new modern city centre has flourished following the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923 and the first Istanbul master plan. Taksim square is considered the heart of modern Istanbul which is centred around the Monument of the Republic. Since its formation, Takism square has played significant national roles by hosting several major political and social events. Known as the heart of Istanbul, Taksim is not only the commercial and cultural centre of the city, but more importantly it functions as an intersection point connecting international and local flows, west and east, traditional and modern, tourist and native, formal and informal, public and green, and past and future.
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ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE
INTERSECTION OF HISTORICAL AND NEW CITY CENTRES
RE-LINKING TAKSIM TO THE ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE CITY
CONNECTING TAKSIM TO THE HISTORICAL CITY CENTRE
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HISTORICAL IDENTITY TRANSFORMATION
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BEFORE 1920 WATER DISTRIBUTION AND MILITARY DISTRICT
1920-1940 TAKSIM AS A PUBLIC SQUARE
1940-1960 TRANSITION INTO A MODERN CITY CENTRE
1960-1980 BECOMING A COMMERCIAL/TRADE CENTRE
1980-2000 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
2000-2020 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?! Taksim square suffers from fragmented identity: the flows and functions are not efficiently tied up in the square. Taksim is a remnant of unique historical layers. Since its formation, it has seen the constant layers of construction, demolition, and re-construction. Despite of being a platform for major cultural and commercial facilities and hosting many social and political events, Taksim has never been a vibrant city square. As an open and vast concrete space, Takism is used for two main purposes: a major transit station in Istanbul, and a huge vacant entrance for the Istiklal Street and the culture valley. As a place of everyday passing through, Taksim lacked a clear image, memorable identity, and sense of place. Moreover, the Gezi park as one of the major components of the square has left isolated from its surroundings. The historic significance of the park resulted in the reluctance of authorities to alter its spatial configuration. However, by interventions in the immediate vicinity of the park, the green quality of the park can pour into the square and improve the quality of the pedestrian experience and transform the square to become a decent city centre for Istanbul. To have a democratic urban public space experience, the new layer of intervention should be neutral to allow all the elements, particularly people from different social groups, to enjoy equal opportunities to shape the space and to equally be heard and seen.
DESIGN STRATEGIES FROM AN OPEN SPACE
TO ENCLOSURE
FROM A PLACE OF PASSING
TO A PLACE OF BEING
FROM MONO-FUNCTIONALITY
TO MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY
FROM THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
TO THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT
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PUBLIC SPACE PROGRAMMING Provoking the synergy between the park and the square as the key strategy to unlock the potentials of the site. On the one hand, the square as the climax of urban pedestrian flows enjoys the constant presence of citizens; while as an urban void, it greatly lacks people-friendly and climatic comfort aspects of a civic space. On the other hand, the park as the gem of green space of the city fabric lacks the public quality and diversity of urban activities. The green quality of Gezi park creates a setting for informal activities adjacent to more formal quality of the square. Therefore, the integration of these two urban typologies can improve their coexistence as a pilot ecological urban space.
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DESIGN CONCEPT
PEDESTRIAN FLOWS
A FOCAL POINT
HARD BORDERS OF THE PARK
SOFTENING THE BORDERS
EXCHANGE OF GREEN AND PUBLIC QUALITY
EDGE DEFINITION WITH TREES
DIVERSE PUBLIC SPACES
OPENING THE UNDERGROUND TO THE SQUARE
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TAKSIM ATIVATED THROUGH PARK-SUQARE SYNERGY
Taksim is revitalized as an urban catalyst to strengthen the public spaces network in Istanbul city centre. To rejuvenate Taksim as a symbolic urban space, the collective memory of the space is highlighted. The relation of the square with its surrounding buildings is redefined in a way to create the sense of enclosure, and enhance the staying quality of the space and in turn its identity. By optimizing the vehicular traffic in Taksim, the square is rearranged to effectively and peacefully integrate the vehicle and pedestrian traffics. The visual environment and legibility of the square is improved to make Takism a people-friendly square. Through making the Gezi park more inviting and attractive by improving its public quality and softening its borders, the park and square are strongly integrated and blended. The softened borders of the park facilitate the flows of people towards the square. Therefore, the square and park are perceived as one single unified public space rather than two segmented urban components.
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Central canopy
Taksim metro entrance
Fountain/event plaza
Green living room
SEC A
Lift
LAYOUT-01
SECTION A
CIRCULAR SYSTEM
water management using rainwater basin reverse drainage energy production by solar panels
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GREEN SYSTEM
maintaining existing trees in the park planting new trees in the park edge definition by new trees defining green living room in the edge
Green living room
Central canopy Bus station void
SEC B
LAYOUT-02
SECTION B
SOCIAL INCLUSION
multifunctionality of the space adding diverse programs and attractions considering different social groups respecting age, gender, ethnicity, and disabilities
LIGHTING
providing safety and security at night enhancing the attraction at night canopy as the main source of light dispersed light poles
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THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT Softspace: Through adding different plant specious, the green quality of the Gezi Park is improved. Moreover, by planting new trees in the square, the ecological condition of Taksim is strengthened. Green living rooms located in the square’s edge enhance the quality of the place by creating micro climate and a pleasant place for everyday life. Hardscape: the materials and colors are selected in a way to allow human activities and plantation to stand out, while reducing the chaos of the space.
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HARDSCAPE
SOFTSCAPE
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FOUNTAINS/EVENT PLAZA
CENTRAL CANOPY
PARK STAIRS/SQUARE TRIBUNE
public expression street performance events and recreation water and playing family and leisure
collective memory people watching plaza and exhibition market and retails family and recreation
social interactions family and entertainment stage and seating green and recreation music and art
TAKSIM SQUARE BEATING HEART OF ISTANBUL
Taksim is the space of temporality, constantly changing face through its life and presenting diversity of experiences to the city and citizens. It is the melting pot of heterogenous urban flows. Lifelong transformation and fluidity are intrinsic to the identity of Taksim. The future experience of the square would be yet featured by time. Taksim as the heart of Istanbul is not currently sufficiently beating life to the new downtown; the ripple-effect of the rehabilitation of this space could introduce it as an origin-destination to more consistent urban flows and experiences and integrate it more to the vitality of the city. The horizontality of the space, posing the sense of being detached and passive, could be turned to something that the square takes you in, that makes you feel safe and being welcomed within the square; Hence, encouraging the user to participate in shaping the space and taking an active role.
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ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKING TEAM FOR STAGE 2 1-Urban planner: design associate 2- Landscape architect: design associate 3-Architect: design associate 4-Structural engineer: technical advicer 5-Traffic engineer: technical advicer 6-Sociologist: social adviser
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