7_7N6O95LH

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE ISLANDS OF TAKSIM SQUARE

THE IDEA: CELEBRATING FRICTION

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

FRICTION IN OUR SHARED LIVES

For Taksim Square we want to celebrate friction by applying a set of ideas and methods to accomplish a diverse, inclusive and contemporary park. The word friction is used as a metaphor borrowed from the world of physics. It is defined as the force of resistance created by the motion of two elements against each other. In our everyday life we experience friction in several situations where interests collide.

In the meetings between public and private space, generations of young and old citizens, nature and culture, and in -today’s geopolitical climate. Urban spaces are complex and layered structures that facilitate several functions and wishes of different groups of users.

In many ways a park is a microcosm of a city, a region or ultimately our planet. Using friction to develop a thriving park allows us the possibility to present multiple perspectives, integrate different uses into the space, and create a notion of ownership. When we experience ownership we also tend to take great care in maintaining, developing and sharing. We can inspire each other in a setting where we – as a community – can develop something that no single office, person nor segmented group can generate alone.

By recognizing our diversity, we create connectivity and promote coexistence: We ensure that we can be different together.

2

THE IDEA: CELEBRATING FRICTION

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

IN TAKSIM SQUARE

Taksim Square, as it appears today, is full of friction caused by the disconnection of various entities. The library is disconnected from the water reservoir; the park from the memorial; the metro station from the cultural centre. We want to add new connections between these entities in order to promote new and surprising experiences.

Recreational areas where parents can calmly be with their little children, connected to a bike path which facilitates commuting to and from work; or a playground with swings and slides connected to a section where pensioners can play boardgames.

Friction between slow and fast pace; between the needs of the young and the old.

Flora will be the common denominator which will act as the binding element of the park. Trees, grass, bushes and flowers will make up connections between the park’s elements and areas. They will create friction against the city’s vast amount of pavements, stone walls and concrete buildings, while reminding us of our connection with nature.

Aim We aim to create a space that, above all, stands out as a landmark for the city, a destination for locals as well as tourists, vendors, children and seniors alike. A mirror of the city, but also a place that allows for a multitude of narratives, fragments of memories and personal desires to take place and unfold.

3

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

SLOW / FAST

Shadow

Observatory tower

Knowledge

Eat and drinks

Resting

Discover

Promenade

Tranquility Play

Art instiallations Stage

Water Plaza

Pavillion

Events Contemporary exhibition

Culture

Terrace

Commerce

YOUNG / OLD

URBAN / NATURE

It is our goal to integrate the very idea of friction as a progressive and necessary element of living together. By accepting and sharing our differences, we also learn to understand ourselves and others. Relationships where opposing views exist, help us grow a diverse and reciprocal space: A space that accommodates a wide range of needs, interests and dreams; a park that celebrates friction.

4

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE METHOD: A TAKSIM FOR ALL NEW MOVEMENT SPACE

In the New Taksim Square,

TO DIVERSITY

the flow and movements will change drastically.

FROM UNIFORMITY

The park will be fully accessible, and a great variation of routes and pathways will interweave between protected trees, new destinations and pocket-parks where everybody will feel welcome From a formal park with regular patterns and uni-directional pathways Taksim will develop into a new organism that can absorb and give life back to the city.

The content will be organized around Seven new themes – Seven new Islands. These will contain various experiences that will attract people and create life at the square. Knowledge, events, play, water and tranquility are among the themes to be introduced.

The concepts will be explored by users and neighbors in an extended involvement process. The New Taksim Square will be designed and embraced by an extraordinary local ownership never seen before in the region. The constellation of Islands and adventures will generate curiosity, respect, openness and in the end, a new love for the City

Travel destination

Current movement

Existing point of interest

New movement

Bus

New point of interest

New point of interest

New point of interest

tro

Me

New point of interest

Current movement

Travel destination

5

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE METHOD: FRAMEWORK FOR TAKSIM

THE TRACE OF HISTORY AND THE NEW TAKSIM

+ TRAVEL DESTINATIONS The New Taksim Square is designed around it’s existing values and travel destination points. In order to combine livability and maintain a clear structure, the Metro and Bus stations become new landmarks.

+ PROTECTED VALUES: Monuments and important trees have been located. They become anchor points for the Islands and define the topography. Important both for cultural and biological reasons these elements frame the green and urban structure.

FLOWS: The flow of the paving – the “Sea of Taksim” will become the single most important feature of the New Taksim Square. The morphology of the promenades and pathways will no longer be a simple geometrical carpet. The paving itself – with its wowing and curving lines - will be an adventurous trip through the many stories of Taksim told by the participating people of Istanbul

The New Taksim Square is defined by a simple strategy: Stations become landmarks, protected values and trees define morphology and The Islands becomes new destinations with an extraordinary inventory design strategy involving an extended user involvement.

THE ISLANDS AND THE SEA

6

THE METHOD: EXPLORING THE NEW TAKSIM

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

ACCESS POINT ADVENTURES

YOU

THE ISLANDS

THE SEA

The transportation hubs become a central feature in the new Square. The design around the exit will make the visitor feel welcomed and important. Logistic becomes a core of the design.

7

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE METHOD: EXPLORING THE NEW TAKSIM HIERARCHY AND TOPOGRAPHY

CREATING HIERARCHY The New Taksim Square will have tranquility in it’s heart; you will not find a spectacle here – the attraction will be the absence of speed and information: a space for contemplation underlined by a quiet water installation and edged by comfortable benches. A clearing in the urban forest

ACCESIBILITY AND TOPOGRAPHY Accessibility is a central key to open for a New Taksim Square. The new routes will have smooth slopes and introduce an informal approach to contemporary, and sustainable urban landscapes.

DIFFERENT TEMPOS AND POCKETS Not only will the Park contain a tranquil center, but also several smaller “pocket-parks” made with slightly different design approach.

A walk through the park constantly offers varying experiences.

CREATING HIERARCHY Informal Heart of the City. A clearing in the Urban Forest

Pedestrian bridge Cumhuriyet Cd.

Library

Bus connection Recep Paşa

Cultural Center

Aydede Cd. Lamartin Cd.

Şht. Muhtar Bey Cd.

Metro

Bus connection

Metro İnönü Cd.

Mosque

Tarlabaşı Blv Sıraselviler Cd İstiklal Cd. 8

THE METHOD: MORPHOLOGY OF TAKSIM

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE SEA

The new Taksim Square is the story of how time shapes and eternally redefines man’s position and physical manifestations in our towns and neighborhoods.

The paving signifies the unending and equalizing stream; time and water.

Pavers and patterns smoothly flow from side to side of Taksim. It invites the visitor to explore new movements and stops on the way.

As driftwood plinths -or bases – define spaces and form the backbone for the Islands.

They form the skeleton of the Park and Square and could be made of material reused from other building sites from around Istanbul walls dismantled during the new design of Taksim Square. Thereby the story of site will be re-told and kept alive.

9

THE METHOD: MORPHOLOGY OF TAKSIM

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE ISLANDS

The new Taksim Square is the story of how time shapes and eternally redefines man’s position and physical manifestations in our towns and neighborhoods.

WATER AND TIME

Seven thematic park areas raise as Islands on the beautifully paved area. It’s a simple and robust concept: The urban sprawl flows like water and all kinds of cultural traces gathers through time.

DRIFTWOOD AND PEOPLE

This “Cultural driftwood”, whether it is famous monuments or simple chairs, playground elements and beautiful lamp posts, can represent important personal memories. We collect and explore these memories together with the citizens of Istanbul and thematically organize the inventory on islands that each signify a special atmosphere.

SOIL BUILD UP AND MEMORY

The islands will become new destinations.

Some spectacular, some calm and tranquil and some simply elegantly playful and robust. Yet their functions and atmosphere will interweave so fruitful meetings between visitors naturally will take place around them.

The design-team will carefully design and organize the islands, so we fulfill both planners need, logistics and at the same time preserve the poetic dimension.

CULTURE ISLAND Ideal for art installations, gathering, celebrating diversity and human knowledge.

10

THE METHOD: MORPHOLOGY OF TAKSIM

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE ISLANDS

SHADOW ISLAND Different canopies create beautiful shadow-patterns in the park. Even in the night.

Climbing plants interfere with the roofs and create an adventuress feel. Light discreetly integrated between plants and canopies.

PROMENADE ISLAND Catwalk of Taksim. An intense series of benches. High quality, sensor-controlled light, small hidden loudspeakers, smooth paving with random names from participants.

EVENT ISLAND An open space where festivals and gatherings can take place in a safe manner. A place where light we be highly important and designed with a comfortable approach.

Far from the typical monotonous urban style.

11

THE METHOD: MORPHOLOGY OF TAKSIM

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE ISLANDS

TRANQUILITY ISLAND The informal heart of the New Taksim Square. Shadow, breeze, sound barriers, trees, birds, calm sounds.

KNOWLEDGE ISLAND A celebration of the library; communication platforms, lectures, outdoor school, senior sermons and a stories from science throughout time.

WATER ISLAND Combined climate awareness and low maintenance, playful water installations.

12

THE INVOLVEMENT: EXTENDED PARTICIPATION

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

METHOD

When urban spaces are designed, we rely on experts and specialists.

While the specialized knowledge is crucial for city planning, it can also exclude everyday users from the decision-making process.

Even within public hearings and participatory meetings, there is a tendency to attract the already engaged citizens. Thus, the not so obvious needs of less empowered inhabitants can be overlooked.

We propose the Extended Participation. We want to engage the users of the park area on equal and very direct terms. This means including the everyday users as well as the commuters; the local

families as well as the passing customers; the hotel guests as well as migrants; the shop owners, street sellers, the office clerks, day carers and doctors using the space. Needs of pensioners differ from preferences of teenagers. This difference in experience and understanding of the world, is often viewed as a problematic gap.

However, brought together, they can be turned into an asset. An asset that reflects the many memories that the city space has accumulated over decades. A new urban.

13

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

THE INVOLVEMENT: EXTENDED PARTICIPATION INVITATIONS

Spaces in which we can find yoga facilities next to a metro entrance, a dedicated board game area with a crossing bike lane, and perhaps an outdoor reading area next to a playground. Using Extended Participation during the decision making process will result in a space of distributed ownership; a space of diversity and complexity which mirrors how we navigate and negotiate in many other aspects of our lives. The park will become a microcosm where one can explore and participate in settings that are usually perceived as strange, uncommon or maybe incomprehensible. We believe it will become an inspirational space where one has the possibility to relax, to grow and to be challenged.

of

ry o

ry

f sh

mo

Me

ado

ws

For the Seven Islands we are inviting people to propose city objects that have special meaning to them. This could be from a personal memory, an object of desire, something seen on a travel and so forth. A bench can be chosen by a senior citizen because it reminds her of a childhood memory. A lamp post with a particular shade of yellow light can be chosen by a daily commuter, as it reminds her of a boardwalk she visited on a holiday last year. A flowerbed has the potential to become a representation of both a personal experience and different culture, and thus gives an insight to yet another nuance of life. The sum of the extended participation method applied to the planning and designing phases, can create unexpected spaces.

es

ad

en

Me

om

mo

pr Taksim is: mayor meets the kids Actor meets cyclist

Mem

ory

w

ry mo

of T ranq

y

no fK

o

Me

Taksim is: skater meets librarian

uilit

ge

led

Taksim is: teacher meets the student

Taksim is: owner meets customer

Shadow

Knowledge Promenade

Tranquility

Personal memory

Taksim is: local meets stranger

Water

Personal memory

Taksim is: plants meets plants

Events Culture

Young meets the old

Commerce

Taksim is: artist meets architect

ry

o em

M

ter

a of w

Taksim is: man meets woman

Me

mo

ry o

fC

ultu

re

Taksim is: cyclist meets pedestrian

ory

Mem of e ts.

ven

Taksim: personal memories becomes public experiences.

14

ALIAS: 7N6O95LH

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART PHASE 2 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO

SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT/ HORTICULTURE

SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT/ PROJECT MANAGER

CONSULTANTS

MEP ENGINEER

URBAN PLANNER

ARCHITECT

MANAGING PARTNER/ ART HISTORIAN

ARTISTIC COLLECTIVE

PARTNER/ ARTISTIC LEAD

PARTNER/ ARTISTIC LEAD

PROJECT ASSISTANTS TRAFFIC ENGINEER

ARCHITECT

ARCHITECT/ URBAN DESIGNER

ARCHITECT/ ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

DESIGNER

15

Park restaurant

KNOWLEDGE

TRANQUILITY

SHADOW

Existing fountain

CULTURE

THE HEART

Exhibition space

Preserved marble

EVENTS

Bus connection Historical steps Café pavilion

PROMENADE

Metro Metro

Bus connection Monument

WATER

Bus connection