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TAKSIM URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION
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DESIGN RATIONALE BACKGROUND
Taksim Square is of huge importance for Istanbul as it reflects and shapes City’s politics, trade, arts, religion and social life. Its identity and symbol have been discussed and kept transforming with political change through the City’s history, such as being the archetypal space of modernity, being commoditized space or restoring an imperial image of old Ottoman-era. Today, the design goal of Taksim Square is to emphasis the identity of being “a place for everyone and everything”. The proposed design will serve as a platform for the public’s self-expression and a place different sections of society are able to feel at home.
RETHINK AND DECONSTRUCT SPACE
How to design a place for everyone and everything? Traditionally, each type of space is located in its specific location with specific program. The spaces with similar programs are usually located closely to each other. As the result, each space only attracts certain groups of people, not everyone. Our ambition is to redefine the relationship between public space and social dynamics. We deconstruct each space into multiple small ones, and distribute them through the whole site evenly instead of a specific location. Different types of small space blend and merge to each other. The spatial character of the whole site is homogeneous and everyone is welcomed.
Historical North -South Axis
All the small spaces on site are organized by an oblique grid whose coordinate directions come from two urban textures. In the 1930s, with the objective of “modernization”, Henri Prost proposed a new urban grid (North-south Axis network) on Taksim to connect the newly developing settlement areas on the north to the central activity areas. It is a rough cut in the existing urban grid network without any transition. Not only to respect the historical value of both two urban grids, but also to create transition between these two grids, we merge them into a new urban grid and use it to organize all the spaces of the site.
g stin on Exi ecti ing e Dir d r n rou xtu Sur an Te Urb
MULTIPLE SPACES
DECONSTRUCT SPACES INTO SMALL PIECES
REMIX SPACES INTO A HOMOGENEOUS STATE
ORGANIZE SPACES BY TWO URBAN TEXTURES
SPACE SYSTEM
All the small spaces can be categorised into 6 types. They are “forest”, “lawn”, “sand”, “rubber”, “water” and “paving”. “Forest” Space has a relatively high density of vegetations. It contains trees and plants with different heights, which contributes the value of sustainability and provides the habitat for birds in City. The programs for “Forest” space would be botanic garden, quiet picnic area, walking trail, bird watching… “Lawn” Space, which may contain a certain amount of vegetation, not only contributes to City’s green system, but also can be mainly used as a flexible big open space. It is the place where people are able to have picnic, to enjoy sunbath, to have festival party and so on. “Sand” Space provides people a special experience of being on the beach. This type of space can be integrated with the programs such as sunbath, playground, volleyball. “Rubber” Space is an active space which can be used as play grounds, sport court and outdoor exercise area. “Paving” Space includes all the areas with hard surface, like paver, concrete and so on. This type of space can be a skateboard park or a flexible open plaza. “Water” Space could be a water park attracting kids to play, a water land mark emphasising important location or a quiet water feature telling the story of site’s history. In 1732, a water distribution center was built closed to Taksim square to overcome the water shortage. To recall this site history, we introduce “water” as an important design element to the site. On the one hand, each type of space is distributed through the whole site evenly instead of on certain specific location. On the other hand, the final location of each type of space has been considered carefully in terms of design aspects such as function, context, accessibility. 1. From the perspective of sustainability and tree’s health, those areas with a certain amount of existing trees are firstly identified as “Forest” space or “Lawn” space. Our design aims to protect the existing trees on site as many as possible. The existing trees, which are unavoidable conflict with our design, will be relocated into the appropriate locations. No healthy existing trees will be removed from the site. The “Forest” space or “Lawn” space are located evenly all over the site. They connect with each other and form a big green system in City. 2. The northwest corner and the southeast corner are designed into open and welcoming corner plazas. These two corner plazas gather the people outside into the site and increase the site accessibility 3. Some of active programs such as playground, picnic area, sports court and exercise area are closed to the commercial or residential building, such as along the site west edge, to attract people to use and provide them everyday functions.
DESIGN FOR EVERYONE AND EVERYONE DESIGN
To design for everyone, we would like to propose an option of inviting the residents in Istanbul to participate into the design process and design their own public spaces. There are dozens of small spaces on the site. Our design regulates the spaces’ framework, size, form, location and character. The details inside of each space could be designed by the local designers or artists. Everyone in Istanbul has this opportunity to express their own voices by engaging into this design process.
LINE SYSTEM
The site pedestrian system is separated with vehicle system to ensure people’s safe walking experience. All the site elevation changes are addressed by gentle slopes or ramps, instead of stairs or high walls, to achieve universal accessibility. Walking, running, wheelchair, bike and skateboarding are all welcomed in the site. There is no significant physical boundary between the site and the surrounding context. The site walking system is an oblique grid. It is based on the two urban contexts which are mention above. On the one hand, the site walking system follows and connects with the surrounding urban grids to maximum the site accessibility. The pedestrians from the outside are able to access into the site smoothly. On the other hand, the historical north-south landscape axis, which was proposed by urban planner Henri Prost in 1930s, is preserved to recall the historical memory. The hierarchy of the whole walking system has three levels: 1. There are two 12-meter wide walking axis. One is a historical north-south landscape axis connecting the north pedestrian overpass, an existing central water fountain
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DESIGN RATIONALE LINE SYSTEM
The site pedestrian system is separated with vehicle system to ensure people’s safe walking experience. All the site elevation changes are addressed by gentle slopes or ramps, instead of stairs or high walls, to achieve universal accessibility. Walking, running, wheelchair, bike and skateboarding are all welcomed in the site. There is no significant physical boundary between the site and the surrounding context. The site walking system is an oblique grid. It is based on the two urban contexts which are mention above. On the one hand, the site walking system follows and connects with the surrounding urban grids to maximum the site accessibility. The pedestrians from the outside are able to access into the site smoothly. On the other hand, the historical north-south landscape axis, which was proposed by urban planner Henri Prost in 1930s, is preserved to recall the historical memory. The hierarchy of the whole walking system has three levels: 1. There are two 12-meter wide walking axis. One is a historical north-south landscape axis connecting the north pedestrian overpass, an existing central water fountain and Gezi Park Stairs on the south. All the historical elements on this axis are conserved. The other one starts from the southwest corner of the site and extends towards to the northeast. This walking axis continues as an overpass cross the street and connects to the Atatürk Museum at the northeast corner. It not only increases the connection between the site and the surrounding context, but also expands the site green spaces to the Atatürk Museum forming a bigger green system which was also proposed by urban planner Henri Prost in 1930s. 2. The second type of walkways are 6-meter wide. They either connect with existing urban roads or the existing historical north-south landscape axis. 3. The third type of walkways are 3-meter wide multiple use paths. They follow oblique grid and are also accessible for walking, running, wheelchair, bike and skateboard.
17 RED POINTS
There is another layer of “Red Point” added onto the site. The points are art structures which are located at 17 different intersections through the whole site. 2 of 17 are viewing towers which give people opportunity to view the site from above. Others are in human scale with heights varying from 3 meters to 5 meters. Since the site is divided into dozens of small spaces, the “17 Red Point” system helps unify the whole site together and functions as wayfinding feature. Like the details of each space will be designed by local designers, the detail of 17 red points will be designed by the local artists.
ORGANIZATION CHART FOR THE SECOND STAGE Organization chart for the second stage
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Architect
Architectural Designer
Landscape Architect
Planner
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PERSPECTIVE
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CONCEPT_GRID + PATCH + POINT
GRID
PATCH
POINT
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“Rubber” Space
“Paving” Space
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT For the detailed design of each space, everyone in Istanbul is invited to participate into the design process and design their own public spaces
Pro pe
r ty
“Paving” Space
“Forest” Space
“Sand” Space
“Rubber” Space
“Water” Space
Lin
e
Water Play
Walking
Sunbath
Sports
Skate Boarding
Seating
Running
“Sand” Space
Assemble Spaces
“Lawn” Space
Reading
Protest
Playing
Picnic
Parade
Memorial History
Meditation
Maze
Laying Down
Jogging
Hiking
Group Gathering
Gardening
Fruite Picking
Exercising
Dancing
“Forest” Space
SPACES
“Lawn” Space
Dating
Celebration
SPACE SYSTEM Botanic Garden
Bird Watching
Biking
PROGRAMS
SPACE SYSTEM
“Water” Space
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LINE SYSTEM
LINE SYSTEM
To The N o
rth
Corn er Plaza
k tür Ata rary Lib esi
add eC
ed Ayd
t tree re S o T t Sto n Fro
sim Tak lion i v Pa
Gezi Park Stairs Repu Monu blic ment
Type-1 Path: 12 Meters Wide
k Par
ing
Corn er Plaza
Type-2 Path: 6 Meters Wide
Type-3 Path: 3 Meters Wide
Vehicle Path
Universal Accessible
STAIRS
VEHICLE
RAMPS
WALKING
RUNNING
WHEELCHAIR
BIKE
SKATE
Overpass Bridge
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SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN SYSTEM
SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN SYSTEM
1. Site Existing Trees
2. Overlay All The Spaces On The Site
3. To protect the existing trees on site as many as possible, those areas with a certain amount of existing trees are firstly identified as “Forest” space or “Lawn” space.
4. The green axis continues as an overpass cross the street and connects to the Atatürk Museum at the northeast corner, which forms a bigger green system which was also proposed by urban planner Henri Prost in 1930s.
The existing trees, which are unavoidable conflict with our design, will be relocated into the appropriate locations.
LIGHTING
3.2 Meters High Light Pole Locations: along 2 main axis
1.2 Meters High Bollard Locations: along major paths
Ground Light Locations: on small paths and on plaza
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WATER FEATURE- METRO WAVE
EXTERIOR VIEW FROM SOUTH WEST CORNER
M
M
WATER FEATURE LOCATION
INTERIOR VIEW
PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM
1.5m HUMAN EYE LEVEL
1.4m
SENSOR (covey the underground vibration to digital screens) DIGITAL SCREENS WATER (300 mm deep)
WATER FEATURE The digital screen will provide dynamic connection between the city square and individuals. It connects the underground metro by transport the vibration from underneath to ground level. When the rain is close, the wave shown on the screen will become bigger and people can hear the sound. When there is no train, the screen will play silent ocean or broadcast other city information.
subway is close
no subway
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PERSPECTIVE
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SITE PLAN 1:1000 Ataturk Library
Viewing Tower
Overpass Bridge
Mete InterContinental Istanbul
Water Feature Sand Playgroud
Viewing Tower
Parking
Aske rO
cağı
Cd.
Overpass Bridge
Cd.
Rubber Playgroud
Corner Plaza
Tak-ı Z
Lawn
Corner Plaza
Skatepark
afer C d.
Lawn
Rubber Playgroud
Water Feature Gezi Park Stair Picnic Area
Sand Playgroud Water Feature
Canopy Trees
Sports Courts
Skatepark
Plaza
Metro Wave Republic Monument
N
esi ed Ayd
riyet C d.
add eC
Cumh u
Taksim Pavilion
Site Plan 1:1000