172KAS53 TAKSIM URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. HISTORICAL READING ABOUT ISTANBUL AND THE PROJECT AREA (TAKSİM SQUA1.1 A Short Reading about the Development and Social Geography of Istanbul 1.2 Historical, Spatial and Structural Reading about Project Area | Taksim 2. ISTANBUL’S SPECIFIC SQUARES 3. TAKSIM URBAN DESIGN PROPOSAL 3.1 Conseptual Framework 3.2 Environmental Analysis, Drawings and Images 4. TAKSIM URBAN DESIGN SITE PLAN
“PARTNERSHIP OF EXISTENCE AND NON-EXISTENCE” According to the conclusion drawn from the historical, spatial and structural reading about the project area (Taksim square), all these facts and events occur between authority, capital, religion and nation factors, but they are basically the result of the continuous conflict between human being and nature. This situation can be said to be the problematic of ‘animus dominandi’. Authority, capital, religion and nation are controlling, shaping and transformative phenomena and they have been governed throughout the history of mankind as a power-holder. Factors such as minorities, refugees, immigrants, anti-racist and gender-queer who try to make themselves, existed against all these dominant factors like authority, capital, religion and nation. However, the Sumerians, one of the oldest known societies in history proposed the partnership of existence and non- existence as a universal view across this conflict. In this context, all these phenomena can get out of the conflict environment and meet in the partnership of existence and non-existence in urban public space.
1.
HISTORICAL READING ABOUT ISTANBUL AND THE PROJECT AREA (TAKSİM SQUARE)
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Figure 1: Map Showing the Development and Social Geography of İstanbul.
1.1 A Short Reading about the Development and Social Geography of Istanbul
The first settlement in Istanbul took place in and around Yenikapı, after which the settlement expanded towards the southern shores of Golden Horn. The Golden Horn was a safe inland port for national and intertransnational sea transportation and trade. The Golden Horn has been the culture transfer flux, and has important advantages as a lagoon for trade, production and transfer. Thus both side of the Golden Horn, which are the historical peninsula and Galata, were home for important civizilations in history. In the Roman and Byzantine periods, there was a settlement in the historical wall. The Historical Peninsula (Suriçi) which is surrounded by the Golden Horn, Marmara Sea and the city walls, was the administrative district of the city. The important building of Roman and Byzantine periods is the Hagia Sofia, the Hagia Irene and The Hippodrome of Constantinople etc. Other buildings were added to these important buildings during the Ottoman period, such as the Topkapı Palace, the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque etc. It can be said that until the second half of the 19th century the Historic Peninsula was an ‘authority’ centre1. The opposite shore of the historical peninsula which is called Glata (Pera) is another settlement surrounded by walls built by Galata Genoese and Venetians. High shores on the north side of the Golden Horn provided suitable conditions for docking. Increase in number of retailers settling (minorities, Levantines and western settlers) in Galata and the developing shipyard industry made it necessary to connect the new industrial areas with traditional marketplaces in the historical peninsula. As a result of these developments, new residential area needs emerged. With the opening of Horse-drawn Trams (Tünel to Taksim), the settlement spread towards both sides of the İstiklal Avenue (Grande Rue de Péra). The important buildings of this district is the Galata Tower, banks, churches, synagogues and Grande Rue de Péra etc. Galata was a ‘capital’ centre. Another important region of İstanbul is Üsküdar. Üsküdar is the starting and ending boundary of the Anatolian and Asian connections. It was the border city of Asia. İstanbul has grown around the triangle connecting these three centers and it has reached today’s physical borders2.
1.2 Historical, Spatial and Structural Reading about Project Area | Taksim Square
Up until the 19th century, the design area and the piece of land stretching from Gümüşsuyu to the Kadırga Valley (Maçka Valley) was a (Muslim, Armenian and Greek) cemetery. The cemeteries as a public space were used as open - green areas of the city by the people of empire. In a multinational imperial life, the diversity and coexistence of the cemeteries were also involved. Cemeteries belonging to different nations and beliefs (orthodox, catholic, protestant and Muslim) living in the Ottoman Empire are located side by side in this area. In other words, cemeteries were imperial heritage as rural areas without any structure.
After the great fire of Galata (1660), the French Consulate was relocated to current place and then Taksim Water Distribution Center (Maksem) was built which is the storage and distribution of water coming from the forests of Belgrade. The results of these developments and the opening of the Tunnel, the settlement expanded to the north in time and the design area and its surroundings began to transform into a residential district. By the 18th century, Taksim, which was once a place of countryside, became an important center that provides water distribution of the city. In 1856, with the construction of the new imperial palace in the Dolmabahçe district, the urban texture of the design area gradually began to change. The necessary buildings for the protection and service of the palace started to be built in the region. Between the years of 1807-1861, the Taksim Artillery Barracks and Talimhane, the Maçka Barrack, the Mecidiye Barrcaks, Gümüşsuyu Barracks and Military School gave a military character to Taksim. The ‘authority’ powerfully takes place in the region with the use of military buildings. Depending on these changing functions and social structure, the specified areas were opened to the settlement of the local capital and the cemeteries were removed. In addition, the growth of residential areas led to the construction of religious buildings (Aya Triada Church, 1880) in the region. Social and spatial structure of Taksim started to change with the establishment of the Republic. Taksim Square has become the urban area of official festivals and celebrations beginning with the early years of the Republic. The design area and its close regions were redesigned by Guillio Mongeri in 1928 and Henri Prost in 1937 to reflect the new social order of the era. Social and spatial structure of Taksim started to change with the establishment of the Republic. Taksim Square has become the urban area of official official festivals and celebrations beginning with the early years of the Republic. The design area and its close regions were redesigned by Guillio Mongeri in 1928 and Henri Prost in 1937 to reflect the new social order of the era. The symbol of national liberation struggle and the foundation of the Republic monument’s pedestal and its peripheral landscaping were designed by Mongeri, and the monument was placed at the intersection of Talimhane Avenue and İstiklal Avenue-Sıraselviler axis. In the proposal of Henri Proust, the design area was foreseen as an urban public space and Taksim Artillery Barracks were removed. Three of the other barracks (Maçka, Mecidiye and Gümüşsuyu Barracks) have been turned into educational buildings and the Military School now serves as the Military Museum3. As a result of İstanbul’s demolitions and reconstruction in the 1950s (under the government of Adnan Menderes) mid-1980s (under the mayorship of Bedrettin Dalan), the design area and close region which is important center of the city has been opened to the use of international and domestic capital. First of all Hilton Hotel was built on the upper slope of the area including Gezi Park. A section of the public park was allocated to a private company under a special law. This broke the spatial continuity of the park which used to form a crescent, and was the first step towards the fragmentation of the green space.
1807-1861 Taksim Artillery Barracks and Talimhane, 1880 Maçka, Mecidiye and Aya Triada (Holy Gümüşsuyu Barracks Trinity) Church
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1928 1898 Taksim Republic The French Consu- Monument was late was renovated. built.
AUTHORITY + RELIGION + CAPITAL
NATION + RELIGION + CAPITAL
MINORITY
Early 18th century
1839 1856 Taksim Water Distri- The Dolmabahçe bution Center (Mak- Palace5 sem) was finalized.
1928 Taksim Republic Monument was built.
1936-1950 Henri Prost’s Park Number 2
Late 19th century
1871 Horse-drawn Trams (Tunnel to Taksim)
1909 The March 31st Incident
EMMIGRANT + MINORITY + MIGRANT
1955 Incidents of September 6th-7th
1969 Bloody Sunday 1977 Bloody May Day
2013 Gezi Protests 2016 July 15th Coup Attempt
EMMIGRANT + MINORITY + MIGRANT
1930-1950
1913 1920- 1930 Balkan’s Emmigrant6 Football Stadium8
AUTHORITY + RELIGION + CAPITAL
Nowadays
1956 1969 Divan Hotel AKM 1975 Etap Marmara Hotel
2017 Taksim Mosque
Figure 2: Sosio - Economic and Spatial Change Analysis of the Design Area and Its Close Regions4. Secondly Divan hotel built across the Gezi Park, at the intersection of asker Ocağı Avenue and Cumhuriyet Avenue. In 1975, Sheraton Hotel (Intercontinental Istanbul Hotel) was built in the Gezi Park. The existing building stocks of surrounding the design area have also undergone functional changes. Also, Etap Marmara Hotel and Inauguration of the İstanbul Cultural Palace (AKM) are located around the Taksim Square in the early 1970s. The ‘capital’ powerfully takes place in the region with these building and their owners. 1950’s Turkey shifted liberal economic policies. Because of the changing of policies, the rural to urban ‘migration’ was increased. Along with these socio-cultural changes in the city, a phenomenon related to regal remedies started to emerge; thereby Taksim Square became the venue for these actions, such as Bloody Sunday (1969), May Day 1977, Gezi Protests and July 15th coup Attempt. These incidents have taken an important place in the memory of the society.
was inspired by the Western norms, and paralleled by secularization and homogenization of the country. Beyazıd, Sultanahmed and Taksim Squares are reorganized as urban areas of this new national- state in Istanbul. While they meet the needs such as recreation, meeting and demonstration for the public, they are designed as areas where official celebrations are held for the public. The public areas of the nation-state: The Republic Square, the Atatürk Boulevard and the Atatürk Monument. These squares are limited to any public building that holds these squares, like the district governorship building and governor’s building7. The Taksim Square was reconstructed to being the iconic space of the nation-state. From ‘the iconic space of the imperial’ to ‘the iconic space of the nation-state’. Taksim Square AUTHORITY
N(ational) + I(nternational)
The expansion of Tarlabaşı Boulevard in the 1980s caused significant damage to the existing urban texture. During the recent years, with the traffic arrangements in the design area, the enlarged version of the AKM (İstanbul Cultural Palace) has been reconstructed and the construction of the mosque which is the symbol of the government’s religious view has been added to Taksim. Thus, ‘authority’, ‘capital’ and ‘religion’ has takes place effectively 1. Güvenç, M. (2018 July 30). Cumartesi Aurası: Murat Güvenç “İstanbul’un Gelişimi ve Sosyal Coğrafyası”. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL9FoGb33nY&t=350s>, date retrieved: 24.06.2020. 2. Sarı, T. (2018). Changing Urban Pattern of Eminönü: Reproduction of Urban Space via Current Images and Function, Athens Journal of Architecture - Volume 4, Issue 1– Pages 115-132. <https://www.athensjournals.gr/architecture/2018-4-1-6-Sari.pdf>, date retrieved: 25.06.2020. 3. Almanac Taksim.İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality,Department of Cultural Assets.
2.
ISTANBUL’S SPECIFIC SQUARES The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to the squares of Istanbul is Beyazıd, Sultanahmed and Taksim Squares. The new nation-state in 1923 (Turkish Republic) was a break from the imperial Ottoman past through a modernization project. This modernization project was inspired by the Western norms, and paralleled by secularization and homogenization of the country. Squares as public spaces were also the product of this modernization project. One of the most important aspects of the nationhood was constructing a Turkish citizenship within defined boundaries. This modernization project
AUTHORITY N(ational) Beyazıd Square I(mperial) Sultanahmed Square Figure 3: Map Showing the İstanbul’s Specific Squares. 4. The images are taken from Almanac Taksim prepared by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Department of Cultural Assets. 5. URL-1 <https://archives.saltresearch.org/handle/123456789/97242>, date retrieved: 25.06.2020. 6. URL-2 <http://www.turanakinci.com/eskiler/eski-taksim/page/15/>, date retrieved: 25.06.2020. 7. Zeybekoğlu Sadri, S. (2017). The Scale of Public Space: Taksim Square in Istanbul. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs (JCUA) 1(1):67-75 · 8. URL-2 <https://www.milliyet.com.tr/cadde/taksim-deki-gezi-parki-nda-futbol-stadi-vardi-1377252>, date retrieved: 25.06.2020.
TAKSIM URBAN DESIGN PROPOSAL 3.1 Conceptual Framework
“PARTNERSHIP OF EXISTENCE AND NON-EXISTENCE”
Authority, capital, religion and nation are controlling, shaping and transformative phenomena and they have been governed throughout the history of mankind as a power-holder. Factors such as minorities, refugees, immigrants, anti-racist and gender-queer who try to make themselves, existed against all these dominant factors like authority, capital, religion and nation. However, the Sumerians, one of the oldest known societies in history proposed the partnership of existence and non- existence as a universal view across this conflict. In this context, all these phenomena can get out of the conflict environment and meet in the partnership of existence and non-existence in urban public space.
ANTIRACIST
minorities refugees immigrants gender-queer
AUTHORITY
MINORITIES CAPITAL
According to the conclusion drawn from the historical, spatial and structural reading about the project area (Taksim square), all these facts and events occur between authority, capital, religion and nation factors, but they are basically the result of the continuous conflict between human being and nature. This situation can be said to be the problematic of ‘animus dominandi’.
AUTHORITY
RELIGION
3.
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RELIGION
CAPITAL
IMMIGRANTS
REFUGEES
GENDER-QUERR
anti-racist
NATION
NATION Outdated Urban Public Space
New Generation Urban Public Space
The result of historically, spatially and structurally examination of the design area has evolved spatially from open urban space (rural space) to enclose urban space. This spatial condition, which took place from the 18th century to the 20th century, brought about political and social closure. It is considered necessary that the urban space of today and tomorrow must be opened out against inward closure. It should be considered to open up to the environment rather than the urban space being surrounded. For this reason, it is anticipated that open urban space should increase public use, rather than being the garden of capital and public buildings. The urban space should be areas where citizens can easily access.
3.1 Environmental Analysis
Maçka Park
G E Z İ
GEZİ PA R K
TAKSİM
Dolmabahçe
Bosphorus
Kasımpaşa
Galata
Figure4: Map Showing the Pedestrian Access with the Surroundings of the Design Area (Taksim Square). In the design, the agreement between the built environment created by man and the natural environment - “the partnership of existence and absence” is aimed. The universal approach of the proposal design was tried to be built on this understanding. Due to the timewise and spatial changing in the open rural character of the design area, the area and the interior of the area are filled and the place is closed inside. In this closure, the understanding of authority, capital, religion and nation is the first degree factor. Now the area will be cleaned from these covering elements and opened to the outside. It is aimed to remove ideological, social, economic and religious boundaries as much as possible. The relation of the society (people) and communities (minorities, immigrants, refugees, antiracist and gender-queer, etc.) with the area has been tried to be established not on a linear or curvilinear basis, but on a space connected to the vectorial movement.
This vectorial movement and construct in opening the space to the outside is in the direction of (Pera - Galata) - (Tarlabaşı Boulevard – Kasımpaşa district) and in the direction of Kadırga Valley (Maçka Park) and the Bosphorus. This bi-directional movement will open the design space to the environment rather than surrounding it. Thus, different public parts of the city can integrate and provide a variety of recreation areas so that it will move away from an imposed hierarchy and freedom will arise from spaces. Taksim Square and Gezi Park, which have been produced in the field of banning and blocking just like their counterparts in the world, are thought to be removed from this area of banning and blocking (religion, nation, capital and authority) and the proposal is fed from realm of freedom of design.
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u ne ve lA
rd va ule Bo
a ikl
şı ba r la Ta
İst
GEZİ PARK
Taksim Square
Fanon Stairs Cultural & Art Pedestrian
AKM
İTÜ Atatürk Library
EW
VI
Maçka Park
BOSPHORUS
Figure5: General Layout 1/5000.
Currently Gezi Park is not used all year round and twenty four hours without interruption. Therefore, the urban open space is left unattended. This ownership also raises security issues. With the socio-cultural and commercial units added to the Gezi park, the area was used day and night. Intercontineltal Istanbul hotel disrupts the continuity of the green area as it holds one end of the Gezi park (located in the place with the most beautiful urban vista). In order to open the visual and physical communication, the otal building has been removed and made available to the citizens. In addition, the vehicle road in front of the AKM building was taken underground and pedestrianized, thereby strengthening the park’s relationship with the street.
Figure6: Ralationship of Both Side (Street-Park and Street Square).
172KAS53 Existing metro station exits and ventilation exhaust outlet in Taksim Square have been moved to the Gezi Park frontier and the square has been transformed into a public space without any visual and physical obstacle. The Taksim Republic Monument’s pedestal and its peripheral landscaping were designed by Mongeri, and the monument was placed at the intersection of Talimhane Avenue and Istiklal Avenue-Sıraselviler axis. However, today the square has undergone spatial change with interventions over time and the location of the monument has remained in an absurd place. For this reason, the monument was moved to the symmetry axis of the AKM building in the design proposal. Thus, a new symmetrical axis was created in the city square in our project. The Square ground color is red.
Figure7: Relationship Between AKM Buildings, Gezi Park and Taksim Square.
GEZİ PARK Taksim Square
AKM
Cultural & Art Pedestrian
Figure8: Ralationship Between AKM Buildings, Gezi Park and Taksim Square. A pedestrian and bicycle path around the Gezi park was built on the Taksim square level (0.00) and Gezi Park (4.00) level. The area is organized to allow quite pedestrian access. Taksim square can be turned into a city scene with a temporary scene set up in front of the monument of the republic. The square between the temporary scene and the AKM has the potential to be a non-partition urban scene.
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Taksim Square
GEZÄ° PARK ian
rt Pedestr
A Cultural &
Open Air Theater.
ITU
AKM
Figure8: Cultural and Art Pedestrian. An art and culture pedestrian path has been constructed, which starts from the front of the AKM building and extends to the AtatĂźrk Library, from there to the ITU building and reaches the open air theater. Taksim square can be turned into a city scene with a temporary scene set up in front of the monument of the republic. The square between the temporary scene and the AKM has the potential to be a non-partition urban scene.
Figure9: Example of social, cultural and commercial units in Gezi Park.
Organization of the Working Team for Stage 2 architect, urban planner, landscape architect, civil engineer, lighting elongation, infrastructure engineer, industrial designer, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, art historian and sociologist.
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172KAS53 Fanon argues that war is essential as a collective effort in the formation of national consciousness and national culture. Taksim republic monument points to the efforts of the nation as a symbol of the liberation war. Today, a new sign is needed. Public spaces should be an urban space where people from all walks of life can express themselves. The Fanon stairs that we recommend are an eight-armed and eight-landed urban fitment. It carries one case in each shelf (authority, capital, religion and nation, minorityi migrant, refugee and gender-queerand does not interfere with how these phenomena find their place. It only allows these facts to flow into each other.
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