35 - AAT4KS1M (EQUILAVENT MENTION) - Project Booklet

Taksim Urban Design Competition

AAT4ks1m

BOARDS

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SERBEST SAHALAR OR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT Compared to other significant metropolises, Istanbul stands out as a city that lacks public green spaces, bringing into question the wellbeing, health and overall quality of life for its urban inhabitants. Research indicates that dynamic public life, supported by a robust network of diverse public spaces, has tangible benefits, from improving mental and physical health, fostering community cohesion, increasing economic value, and reducing violence and crime.

system on the roof. These systems provide the electricity required for both the lighting across the site and the irrigation needed for the landscape. The permeability and openness of the structure creates an interconnectedness between the city and the landscape.

Beneath the canopy structure, a variety of uses are contained within a series of flexible pavilions. These are designed as light, transparent structures that support the daily life of the park. The contemporary programs will feature cultural, educational and recreational uses. The pavilions are designed as adaptable structures that can be modified depending on the needs of the city and the users. Additionally, the pavilions serve as a point of connection for the numerous ephemeral events that will be organized underneath the canopy structure throughout the year which provides shade, protection from the rain and, most importantly, a defined place where a large number of people can gather easily. As a flexible space, the park becomes a platform for numerous events that can range in size, from small bazaar-like events to large cultural gatherings. The potential uses within the park suggest infinite opportunities.

Paramount to public life is a well-connected system of parks, plazas and public spaces. The competition area includes a key node in Istanbul´s public realm network as observed by Henri Prost in 1942 when he completed his largest public park proposal, Park No 2, which connected Takism Square with Maçka Valley. However, different planning decisions and large hotel developments have jeopardized the continuity of parks in the master scale of Istanbul. In this proposal, the valuable relationship between Maçka and Gezi Park is restored and considered as the starting point of a larger scale public green space development for the whole of Istanbul.

Honoring the rich historical context of the competition site, the proposal aims to celebrate the past while simultaneously looking towards a more sustainable and just future. During the 17th and 18th Centuries the area supported a water distribution center, coffee houses, promenades and cemeteries and in the early 19th Century Taksim Square achieved a military function with the construction of the Artillery Barracks. Later abandoned, the military structure transformed into a successful public space and became Istanbul’s first football stadium in 1921 and a platform for cultural celebrations and events.

Taksim Square is a unique, multi-layered urban square with deep historical and political values for Turkey. In the spatial configuration of the project, the square maintains its function for public gathering. The landscape design and integration of vegetation allows space for a large opening in front of Prost’s original stairs, which are integrated in the new topography as they engage with the public life of the square and serve as both a stage and informal seating area. In terms of materiality, the square will reuse the granite that was recently implemented to restore large areas of the site, in a newly designed surface design.

The Peninsula’s historical significance for the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires led the state to choose the Beyoğlu-Taksim region to establish a new modern identity. In 1941, Henri Prost proposed a public space that linked his design with the topography of the Barracks with a focus on incorporating modern values such as open spaces and cultural programming. The city of Istanbul promptly adopted the concept of “Serbest sahalar,” implying a freedom of movement. However, today, many of these historic traces have been lost in time and only a few elements reflect Prost’s original plan for Taksim.

The Atatürk Library was initially designed by Sedad Hakkı Eldem as a multi-functional complex including a library, museum and art galleries, however, only the library program was built. Today, while this building has a privileged view over the Bosphorus, its garden is enclosed and the building cannot be fully enjoyed by the city’s inhabitants. This proposal aims to highlight the architecture of the building by extending and embracing the viewing platform. The fences that enclose the area are removed and the proposed landscape merges with the urban setting.

The existing trees are maintained while an additional fifty (50) trees are added to create a lush and green public space. The topography in this area is transformed into a smooth and fluid surface with an embedded amphitheater looking towards the Bosphorus.

These layers of history, full of possibility, become an intrinsic part of the design and celebrate the collective memory of the place. The natural landscape of the site, before the city expanded, is recovered to extend the green network within the urban area. A projection of the inner courtyard from the Artillery Barracks is incorporated through a light and open canopy structure. This performative and permeable structure serves as a central node for programs and activities within the park.

Istiklal Street, which will become one the main entries into the future urban park, has recently become a harsh experience for pedestrians following the removal of a significant number of trees. A recent project that placed artificial grass above the rails has not solved the problem, and the need for a greener street is critical. Within the proposal, a row of Tilia trees continue along İstiklal Street and create a green axis that extends the green network throughout the city. The Orthodox Church, featuring a green oasis with its lush gardens, will be more deliberately connected with Sıraselviler Street and an urban terrace will be created to emphasize the relationship between the city and its rich heritage.

Currently, the park faces major challenges related to accessibility and comfort. The park is disconnected from the city with dramatic changes in elevation that form a barrier with the surrounding context. The previous attempt to connect the various levels of the park with numerous stairs fails to provide universal access and excludes an entire community of users. This proposal addresses the challenge by integrating a continuous, gently sloped surface that connects the distinct areas and supports accessibility for all users. Focused on creating comfortable microclimates that encourage people to spend time in the park, the proposal considers dynamic water features that help mitigate hot air temperatures and serve as a kinetic element within the playgrounds.

Taksim Square and Gezi Park will facilitate stronger connections within the surrounding context and improve the relationship between the city and nature. No longer just a pedestrian transit pass or transportation hub, Taksim Square will transform into a diverse, 24/7, dynamic public space and become a city destination throughout the year, carrying the historical traces of the past and the collective memory to future generations.

Designing within a holistic framework, the landscape approach for this proposal considers the historical Gezi Park by Henri Prost as a starting point. The historical axes of the original proposal are brought back as main pathways and emphasized by the landscape design. Gezi Park today supports a rich and diverse ecosystem with numerous native trees and plants. The proposal maintains all of the existing vegetation and proposes increasing the number of trees and plants (≈300 new trees) to transform Taksim into a new green lung in the center of the city. Areas of vegetation are implemented through a series of green pockets that extend from the center of the park, with mature trees and dense vegetation, into the city, where the trees decrease in size and the green pockets gradually transform into hardscaping. A canopy structure, finished in polished steel, reflects the surrounding greenery and seamlessly merges with the park through a system of irregular columns that integrates with the forest tree trunks. This performative structure supports integrated solar panels and a rainwater collection

This aspirational proposal can become a reality with a motivated and multidisciplinary team that works closely with the local community. The design process will be an inclusive, accessible and open platform where the city of Istanbul determines how an urban park in the 21st century should be.

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ART IN TAKSIM

Primary landmark

Secondary landmarks

Pedestrian art connections Main access points

Istanbul street art Mosaics by Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu

The new Taksim Square and Gezi Park become a place for expression in which culture and the exchange of ideas take vital roles. Diversity and creativity among Istanbul's population are fostered as part of the intervention's main programmatic inputs.

These key locations scatter the art interventions throughout the entire site, and establish a cultural network that covers the whole square and park. The existing historical architectural and artistic elements, together with contemporary interventions, are united in a holistic live curatorial project that has the ability to change and evolve over time, reflecting the collective consciousness and expression of the city as a whole at any given moment, as well as registering its evolution throughout time.

Street art has always had a strong presence in Istanbul as an open form of expression. From Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu's Byzantine-inspired mid20th Century mosaics to today's graffiti and mural artists, art in the city's public domain has thrived throughout the years. The new Taksim Square offers a platform for all forms of expression, in which there's room for permanent interventions by renown and upcoming artists, temporary fairs and ephemeral installations of all disciplines.

Furthermore, this networks of paths that connect the different art interventions and landmarks establishes a series of guided walks around the site that show its complex and rich design by marking the geometry of the various historical layers that are overlapped, as well as its main accesses and connection points. The art program of Taksim therefore follows both a cultural and expressive function, but also a didactic one, facilitating the inhabitants' way of occupying and utilizing their public space.

As shown in the diagram above, a series of potential locations for art installations of varying scale, nature and duration are defined in consideration of the following factors: 1. Identification of the main entrances into the canopy structure by locating primary landmarks.

2. Identification of area’s outer border by locating smaller secondary landmarks.

3. Establishing art-centered pathways that connect with the main surrounding streets and pedestrian promenades.

4. Maintaining the clear impact of the existing landmarks (Republic Monument, Atatürk Cultural Center, Taksim water reservoir building, etc.).

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ART IN TAKSIM

Art exhibition along the Canopy.

Street exhibitions on Cumhuriyet Boulevard and Taksim Square.

Art pieces scattered throughout Gezi Park.

The spacial richness and diversity of the new Taksim Square and Gezi Park design provide for different environments in which art installations of various natures and sizes could be placed.

choose to show pieces in any number and scale on a temporary basis, occupying these prominent spaces and making the entire city participate in singular cultural events.

On one hand, the Canopy itself can serve as infrastructure for the installation of open air but covered art interventions of a more sensitive nature, where lighting and climatic conditions need to be controlled up to a point. The spaces bellow the canopy can become an open and inclusive linear art gallery to host painting, photography or sculpture shows, as well as cultural events of any other nature.

Finally, the project also considers the scattering of different permanent pieces and landmarks of various natures and scales throughout the entire site, establishing the cultural network described above, and making art and inherent part of Taksim's fabric.

On another hand, the more urban open spaces on Taksim Square and Cumhuriyet Boulevard can serve as a frame for the installation of larger interventions for seasonal urban exhibitions. Artists and curators can 9

SCENARIOS IN TAKSIM 1. TAKSIM SQUARE

Open air cinema and theater plays.

Large concerts and cultural events.

Public demonstrations.

The clear and open scheme proposed for the new Taksim Square and Gezi Park features a hybrid continuous surface that erases all architectural barriers and level breaks. This offers a new uninterrupted and inclusive public space in which civic activities of all scales and natures can take place.

The project also provides a series of differentiated environments that vary in materiality, scale, proportions and facilities. Each of these spaces is suitable for hosting a wide range of different activities, maximizing the number of possibilities that this new urban landmark offers.

On one hand, Taksim Square offers a more traditional hard scape square layout in direct connection with the surrounding historical highlights such as the AtatĂźrk Cultural Center, the Republic Monument, and Taksim water reservoir. Additionally, the steps from Henri Prost's times on the northern limit of the square are preserved in order to provide for public seating space, capable of acting as stands for open air shows and events, transforming the square into an open theater.

The new Taksim Square design is capable of hosting a wide range of events, such as public demonstrations, full-scale concerts or theater plays and open air cinemas. For the latter, seasonal urban furniture in the form of folding chairs and temporary stages can be made available for its use on the square through the interactive management app.

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SCENARIOS IN TAKSIM 2. CUMHURIYET BOULEVARD

Celebrations and parades.

International fairs and expos.

On another hand, the linear, also hard-surfaced Cumhuriyet Boulevard can be used for events that require longer spaces in direct connection to the surrounding consolidated urban fabric. Temporary chairs, tables and stalls can be placed in order to host parades and civic celebrations of all sorts, as well as fairs and international exhibitions and even largescale public Ramadan dinners. This space, right on the border of the Kocatepe area, becomes a new center of activity and exchange for the entire neighborhood.

Ramadan dinner.

Finally, the Central Lawn in the middle of Gezi Park, being the largest green open space in the site, serves as a platform for all sorts of recreational activities. On a daily basis, is serves as a leisure-centered space in which people can just hang out, meet with friends and have a picnic. On special occasions and weekends, it can also house mediumsized sports events such as football and handball matches, races, tennis games, etc. During the summer months, together with the octagonal water pond, it can become an urban beach. Beach umbrellas, sun beds and temporary cafĂŠs can be installed on the lawn, while people can enjoy taking a dip on the water pond.

Thirdly, the new Canopy structure can also serve to house a variety of activities and events that require to be covered. Since temporary pavilions of all scales, materials, shapes and natures can be plugged in and out around the Canopy, any sort of fairs, markets and festivals can be held. This brings the possibility for the entire surrounding area to have a new commercial center, capable of hosting weekly or daily farmers' and antique markets, book fairs, etc. Other non-commercial activities can also be held under the canopy, such as art exhibitions and public gatherings. Lastly, it can also have a didactic role in the surrounding community, serving as a public educational center for of different skills and disciplines both for children and grown-ups.

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SCENARIOS IN TAKSIM 3. THE CANOPY

Farmers' markets.

Art exhibitions and installations.

Outdoor community education center.

Leisure and picnic.

Summer urban beach.

4. THE CENTRAL LAWN

Sports events.

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IDENTITY STUDIES

Voyage Pittoresque de Constantinople, Antoine Ignace Melling, 1819.

Vue de la Caserne et du Champ des Morts de PÊra, Michel-François PrÊault, 1817.

Taksim Stadium in 1923.

Our cities are active witnesses of the different stages of our History.

As such, they should be understood as the superposition of successive layers that register the footprints of the various events, highlights and regimes that our society goes through. We should therefore preserve and learn from all those different layers, avoiding the destruction or alteration of any of the strata that could distort the reading of History.

In the case of Taksim, this poses the question of how to reconcile the different stages of such as rich historic landmark with a new vision for the future of Istanbul. How do we keep the vestiges of the Ottoman and early republican times present while drawing productive learnings for building a Turkey of the future, egalitarian, diverse, free and united?

How do we add a contemporary new layer to the historical palimpsest of Taksim Square?

Bosphorus that the city's distinctive geographical location offered. The project emphasizes and restores the Taksim's contact with nature. It does so by preserving the existing vegetation and expanding it through the addition of new specimens of local species. It also largely expands the site's green areas, understanding the pavement treatment as a continuous soft surface that gradually transitions from hard pragmatic walkways to vegetated lawns and parterres. In consequence, Taksim Square and Gezi Park are no longer viewed as an amalgamation of distinct surfaces and terraces with hard breaks among them. Instead, the whole area works as a unified piece of soft landscape that offers a platform for social activity to happen, as well as to retreat from the city hustle into nature.

The Ottoman barracks were built in 1806, and the structure survived until Henri Prost's plan was implemented during the late 1930s and early 1940s. These barracks were the remaining traces of anachronistic times, but they were nevertheless an inherent part of the history of the place.

Most interestingly, from the point of view of Taksim's public spaces, were the different uses that the building's courtyard had throughout time after its military use was discontinued. It became Turkey's first football stadium starting in 1921, being later also used as an open-air gym, wrestling ring, show venue, etc. The flexibility of this public space derives both from its versatile open layout, and its clear formal definition and integrity, provided by its condition of being the central courtyard of a regular and pragmatic building. This formal unity and versatility of use are replicated in the new Gezi Park by the insertion of the Canopy structure. This welcoming and levitating threshold adds definition to the park's central space while also making it an open and inclusive area where any sort of civic activity can take place.

In response to this dilemma, the project for the new Taksim Square proposes the preservation of the physical elements that show the most positive aspects from the various layouts that were implemented throughout the site's different stages. It also introduces new features that build upon the former, adding new possibilities for the open and inclusive utilization of this public space. Therefore, all of the Square's consecutive designs and eras become apparent for the city dwellers, while optimizing and improving its functionality, and projecting the landmark into the future.

The first aspect that the project integrates dates back to the site's role as a natural promenade up to the beginning of the 19th Century. During the Ottoman times, the flat area next to the Taksim water reservoir, far from the crammed Historical Peninsula, became a place for the inhabitants of Istanbul to gather, exercise and enjoy the views of the 13

IDENTITY STUDIES

The Republic Monument, Pietro Canonica, 1928.

Gezi Park, Henri Prost, 1939-1943.

Gezi Park photographed by Henri Prost.

The Republic Monument, designed by Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica, was built on Taksim Square between 1926 and 1928. Since then, it has occupied a fundamental place in the city's collective identity and memory. It provides a place of national significance where citizens can gather to defend their ideals and reflect upon the future of their common project. The new Taksim Square layout preserves the Monument in its current location, retaining its gravitational point next to the Taksim water reservoir building, and articulating one of the main accesses into the square from Ä°stiklal Street, transited by millions of pedestrians every day.

as traces of this historical layer that defined the park's identity during most of the 20th Century. The retained elements include the geometry of the main paths and pedestrian avenues in Prost's plan, as well as the central lawn and octagonal parterre.

The main paths define an orthogonal grid which follow the orientation of the demolished barracks, and have organized all the successive interventions on the site. This basic orthogonal grid serves as a starting point for the new design, being then interrupted by several diagonal axes that respond to other spatial and programmatic considerations.

The diagonal axes provide more direct and free-flowing connections between the different accesses and programmatic points on the site, while also bringing its design into the 21st Century.

The project also picks up on the original plan implemented by Henri Prost, which culminated in the demolition of the Ottonman barracks and the construction of Gezi Park between 1936 and 1943. Some of the elements with the most impact in Prost's design where the central platform, which roughly followed the barrack's outline and offered a new modern leisure-oriented promenade in connection to the preexisting Taksim Gardens; as well as the main stepped tribune that connected the park with Taksim Square.

The central lawn, which is currently interrupted by a set of paths laid in later interventions, is restored as a unified green quadrangle that can hold a variety of activities in connection to nature. Next to it, the octagonal parterre from Prost's original design had been turned into a round water fountain. This element is brought back to its original polygonal geometry, while retaining a water feature component for leisure purposes.

Prost's design has been altered throughout times, making room for new poorly planned interventions and pieces of pragmatic infrastructure.

The project aims to restore some of the most significant elements of the original design in order to recover its traces and show this historical layer in context.

These various elements ensure the endurance of the remains of Prost's plan, while superimposing them to the barracks traces in the form of the Canopy above, and bringing the whole complex together in a contemporary and flexible fashion.

The project reimagines Prost's Gezi Park design by eliminating its architectural barriers and level breaks, and providing a continuous soft surface that unifies the entire site and make it accessible and inclusive.

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IDENTITY STUDIES

Taksim Square steps in 1941.

Taksim Water Reservoir,

Atatürk Cultural Center, Hayati Tabanlıoğlu, 1956-1969.

Prost's central platform connected with Taksim Square through its iconic stairs. These marble steps have become an emblem of the French urban planner's design, and a place for the inhabitants of Istanbul to gather and hold events. The steps are preserved in the new design, although altered to match the geometry of the new continuous soft topography and to become a less invasive element on the formal layout of the square on the South. These steps provide seating for gathering and discussion, and they can also become an open tribune or stands for events like outdoor theater plays and concerts.

This superposition of historical elements and layers uncovers the historical palimpsest inherent to the identity of Taksim Square and Gezi Park, and should therefore be acknowledged and incorporated into its future forms. The project combines the historical traces and remains with a contemporary vision that physically and virtually unites the different aspects of such a complex urban site into a unified setting for human activity that condensates the city's history and identity.

The historic Taksim water reservoir building is also highlighted in the new design of the square. The structure, commissioned by Sultan Mahmut I, was built was built between 1732 and 1733. It serves as a reference to the origins of Taksim itself as a water distribution center, which made the site become such an important hub of activity since the Ottoman times.

The prominent position of this building on the square, restored in 1985, has since been neglected, being hidden away by pieces of temporary urban furniture and vehicle parking. The project proposes to clear up the area surrounding the water reservoir, restoring its presence on Taksim Square as one of the site's main historical and cultural features.

The Atatürk Cultural Center served as another one of the square's main focus points between 1969 and 2008. It served as a cultural landmark for the city, and its prominent glass-and-steel facade became the stage front for the activity on the square. Having been demolished and in the process of reconstruction, the new cultural center will be restated as one of the main features of the new Taksim Square. It will become the backdrop for civic activity and public gathering.

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INTERACTION & CONNECTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES

HEALTH

STRATEGIES STRATEGIES OUTCOMES OUTCOMES

Landscape

HEALTH

RESTRICTED SPORTS ACCESS

SPORTS

SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE RESTRICTED MOBILITY MOBILITY ACCESS

T A K S I M

Local businesses

RENATURALIZE RENATURALIZE PUBLIC TRANSPORT WELL BEING

ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT

CLIMATIC REFUGE

CLIMATIC REFUGE

INTERACTION

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

PEDESTRIAN/ PEDESTRIAN/ BIKE FRIENDLY BIKE FRIENDLY ACCESSIBILITY ACCESSIBILITY

Participate

TA K SIM

HERITAGE APPEAL ENHACEMENT ENHACEMENT

HERITAGE

External commetee

PRESENTATIONS

Municipality

Charge Weather Share

PUBLIC EVENTSPUBLIC EVENTS

Cityzen platforms

COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE SOCIETY

Students

SOCIETY

ACTIVITIES

Urban planner Municipality Citizens

Book Connect

APPEAL

DESIGN TEAM

Local community

WELL BEING

TA K INTERACTION SIM

Engineers

Architects

Local organizations

ACTIVITIES

T A K S I M

MOCK-UP TESTS

City commission

PUBLIC DEBATE

Local organizations

WORKSHOPS

Local community Universities Schools

OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES The endless opportunities offered by this unique site are enhanced through social and sustainability-oriented strategies that improve the citizens’ daily life.

DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY Citizens can use their phones to connect to Taksim and access all the opportunities that this new public space offers, both physically and digitally.

INVOLVED AGENTS The design of such a complex public space is understood as a participative and collaborative process in which the citizens and local institutions work together.

WIFI AND POWER ACCESS Site-wide free WiFi access enables citizens to stay connected and participate in all activities through the phone app. Charging stations are also available to ensure their connectivity.

CIVIC PARTICIPATION Both the physical and digital platforms of Taksim are open to the citizens' suggestions, reporting damage, voting proposals and initiatives for improving the city together.

SOCIAL INTERACTION Citizens can interact and exchange information with each other, posting photos and messages linked to specific places around the site. Public space becomes social.

INTERACTIVE ART AND ACTIVITIES Interactive art installations and educational activities are placed on the site, for users of all ages to become engaged with their city environment.

FLORA AND FAUNA ATLAS Information about local vegetation, animal and insect species that populate the site is available both on physical informative panels and through visual recognition on the app.

UNLOCK URBAN FURNITURE Movable pieces of seasonal urban furniture is available under request through the app.

Users can unlock them and enjoy their public space as if they were at home.

WEATHER CONDITIONS Users can find out about the weather conditions in the different areas of Taksim Square and Gezi Park in advance in order to plan their visit.

ADAPTIVE LIGHTING The artificial lighting embedded in the Canopy structure and the light poles change their intensity and tone in response to the time of the day, activities and density of people.

MAKING RESERVATIONS Users can book certain areas of the square in advance, such as sport fields, rooms in the pavilions or tables at restaurants, in order to facilitate a democratic use of the space.

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LANDSCAPE DESIGN

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Mediterranean mosaic Biodiversity nodes Natural meadows Therapeutic gardens Seasonal gardens

Urban orchards The Central Lawn Phytodepuration pool Playground and sports

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Landscape design is never a still image: it is a process, a constant flux of natural and social events, a continuous and uninterrupted superposition of times and spaces. The project for the new Taksim Square and Gezi Park takes this complexity and mutability of the landscape as working tools and embraces them as distinctive characteristics of the site.

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The restoration of the site's historical memory is not approached as a museum-like intervention of preservation, organization and presentation.

Instead, it is aimed to bring back the landscape's movement, its condition of a place rooted in a certain time and space that transitions to others without a clear final destination. It draws a continuous path from a certain starting point, but only intuiting the direction of development.

medicinal plants, diverse flowers that bloom in different times of the year, fruit trees, etc. These spaces contribute to the stimulation of the senses and the improvement of the inhabitants' physical, mental and cognitive abilities, with special emphasis on the elderly and those with health issues.

Natural meadows: located in the open spaces in the center of Gezi Park, they resemble the ancient fields and meeting spaces that occupied the site prior to the construction of the square. They are spaces for gathering and leisure with rural natural features. They include a variety of herbaceous species that provide a wide range of tonal, height and flowering variation.

Seasonal gardens: these gardens are located next to the most urban limits of the Square. They are composed by a series of green tesserae that offer a seasonally or annually changing landscape on some of the main entrances from the city into the park. These tesserae can be occupied by seasonal flower beds, small garden festivals, cooperative ecologic workshops for school kids, etc. These seasonal gardens can be combined with more permanent green tesserae that provide a continuous structure to the landscape.

Urban orchards: located in the proximities of Atatürk Library, these urban orchards can serve as didactic spaces and ecological classrooms for nearby schools, as productive spaces for the elderly or for people at risk of social exclusion, or as spaces for social and collaborative economy.

The Central Lawn: it restores the central green lawn from Henri Prost's plan. Featuring a continuous herbaceous covering, it serves as a setting for any kind of leisure activities such as sports events, festivals, fairs, etc.

ECOLOGICAL STRATEGY The green Mediterranean mosaic strategy conforms a series of solid Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) that will characterize Taksim Square and project it into the 21st Century.

The Mediterranean mosaic improves the urban green spaces' biodiversity both in terms of species and ecosystems. The biodiversity of a place is directly proportional to the amount of natural complexity and variation present on the site. This strategy presents a series of advantages.

On one end, the ecosystems' auto-regulation in a Mediterranean environment translates into significant savings in maintenance costs: less unnecessary pruning, lower water consumption as a limited and limiting resource, decreased need for phytosanitary products due to the reduced risk of plagues, etc.

The project superimposes the historical layers of the different landscapes that have occupied the site through time, since its origins as a rural space and gathering point to today's urban Square. What remains of each of those layers is not a fossil, but a trace, a vestige, something that doesn't locate the user in a fixed point but instead makes them travel across time and space.

THE MOSAIC The concept of a mosaic as a spatial structure spreads the general landscape strategy throughout the entire site. Its inherent qualities of versatility, complexity and exchange enables to incorporate the traces from past times while at the same time projecting a future where there is plenty of room for variability and movement. Resilience becomes one of the main characteristic of the project and of its mosaic-like formal structure. This ensures the design's capacity for change and for future adaptability of the space, avoiding its obsolescence and the need for significant interventions.

On another hand, this strategy also contributes to the climate conditioning by natural means. In other words, it helps to ease the effects of climate change on the site. The developed green coverage has the ability to absorb and store CO2, which in a city that has to learn how to progressively move towards the eradication of the use of fossil fuels, will become of vital importance in time.

Finally, the design substantially helps to establish a high quality and functional urban scape, which translates into a positive perception by the entirety of the city's population.

Each of the mosaic's tesserae is assigned with a different programmatic use and a biodiversity potential. The location of each ground of tesserae is not only determined by the new characteristics and programs of the Square, but also by their proximity to its limits and the various synergies and urban and ecologic connections that the projects intends to resolve or foster.

All these ecological elements add to an improvement of the citizens' environmental comfort. This improvement has therapeutic properties for a lot of the inhabitants, specially for those who lack ease of movement out of the city during harsher weather seasons, turning Taksim Square into a new climate refuge in the center of Istanbul.

The mosaic is composed by the following main tesserae groups:

THE IMPORTANCE OF ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY

– Mediterranean mosaic: biodiverse spaces with abundant arboreal and shrub strata (including the existing trees). These spaces will mainly feature local Mediterranean species, achieving greater adaptation to the environment and lower maintenance costs.

– Biodiversity nodes: distinct spaces associated to the Mediterranean mosaic laid in a "stepping stones" scheme. These nodes will serve as distributors of biodiversity for the neighboring green spaces.

They feature dense vegetation in its three strata (arboreal, shrub and herbaceous), together with other elements such as biologs, insect hotels, nest boxes and some low dry stone walls that favor the thriving of small species associated with these environments.

– Therapeutic gardens: a set of gardens featuring aromatic herbs,

In current days, ecological connectivity (the process that allows populations to shift) is specially valued in public space and urban park design as one of the main ecological processes. Enhancing ecological connectivity favors genetic exchange and, therefore, improving the health of ecosystems. This contributes towards the growth of the ecosystemic services offered to the population.

The green mosaic strategy established for the project's landscape design is aimed to ensure a wide internal ecological connectivity. A series of biodiversity nodes are located on the perimeter of the intervention in a "stepping stones" distribution. These nodes consist on specially rich 17

LANDSCAPE DESIGN DEGREES OF BIODIVERSITY

spaces that act as biodiversity distributors for the neighboring green areas around the city.

The green strategy for the project's mosaic layout is completed by a series of open spaces, strategically placed in order to improve the general ecological permeability of the design.

From a green continuity point of view, the site doesn't stand as an isolated entity. The maximization of Taksim's landscape strategy is specially relevant from a programmatic point of view, but it also has a huge impact on the biodiversity of neighboring areas, spreading its effect through adjacent green spaces such as Tarlabaşı Boulevard, Cumhuriyet Street, İstiklal Street, Henri Prost's Park No. 2 and Maçka Democracy Park. This establishes a continuous network of ecologically well connected urban green spaces, which will favor the thrive of the ecosystemic services described above for the entire city.

CONSIDERATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Biodiversity level 1 Biodiversity level 2 Biodiversity level 3 Biodiversity level 4

The UN General Assembly officially established in 2015 the SDGs as part of a resolution called "The 2030 Agenda". This document contains 17 global goals, together with 169 targets to be achieved between 2020 and 2030. These goals and targets represent the global development regime for the next 10 years.

Biodiversity level 5 Biodiversity level 6 Biodiversity level 7 Biodiversity level 8

Out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the intervention on Taksim square implicitly tackles the following: – SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

– SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

– SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

– SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

– SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

– SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

– SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

– SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy.

– SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

SHRUBS AND HERBACEOUS LAYERS

LOCAL SPECIES Mediterranean shrubs Herbaceous and lawn

Therapeutic and medicinal plants Seasonal gardens

The project considers the following local species to populate the proposed landscape, which will show an optimal adaptation to the existing environmental conditions: – Medium & large trees: platanus x hybrida, populus nigra ilatica, robinia pseudoacacia “casque-rouge”, populus alba, tilea cordata, tilia tomentosa, melia azederach, celtis australis, cercis siliquastrum, koelreuteria paniculata, tipuana tipu, grevillea robusta, ginkgo biloba obeliscus, tilea tomentosa, gledistia triacanthos, ostrya carpinifolia.

– Small trees: cornus controversa, hibiscus syriacus, lagestroemia indica, prunus cerasifera, prunus dulcis, pyrus calleryana “chanticleer”, tamarix africana.

– Fragrant plants: rose, gardenia, lavender, rosemary, lilac, heliotrope, chocolate cosmos, lemon balm.

– Herbs: basil, cilantro, thyme, pineapple sage.

– Seasonal/annual: geraniums, marigolds, snapdragons, strawflowers, angelonia, sweet potato vine, and seasonal bulbs like tulips and hyacinth.

– Wild plants: lantana, bacopa, lobelia, Salvia, milkweed, pentas, butterfly bush, chastetree, dill, fennel.

ARBOREAL LAYER

Existing tree canopy Proposed evergreen trees

Proposed decidious trees 18

STRUCTURE CANOPY STRUCTURE The canopy structure resembles that of an elongated tabletop structure, that provides shelter to the public below. The structure itself comprises a series of portal frames connected at the top by a horizontally placed steel truss that acts as a diaphragm and distributes the vertical and the horizontal load down onto each of these frames.

Solar panels

The columns are made of stainless steel, to provide a shiny and clean aspect, and the truss at the top would be constructed using standard mild steel.

The main connections are carefully detailed so that prefabrication and shop welds are maximized throughout the project. It is proposed that all connections of the main structural elements are shop-welded and tested in the fabrication yard in order to improve the tolerances and the quality of each product. This makes the construction process more reliable, and together with a repetitive truss assemblage on site, the time and management efficiency is guaranteed.

Polished stainless steel cladding

The frame structural system helps to provide the overall lateral stability of the canopy, these are placed along both directions of the structure and act simultaneously against horizontal actions such as wind loads, significant thermal changes and earthquake events. The columns in the frames are fixed at both ends to minimize deformations, and the truss on the top acts as a diaphragm that shares the horizontal loads onto all the frames acting parallel against the load, to then transfer these actions down onto the foundation system.

Steel truss

The columns rest on shallow, reinforced concrete pad foundations, that are connected to each other in each direction by means of reinforced concrete ground beams. This tying of foundations provides an extra resilience against earthquake induced motions in the ground, and prevents excessive horizontal movements at the base of the structure which could be detrimental to the performance of the structure after the event.

Polished stainless steel columns

Green roof

Cross laminated timber beams

Structural analysis of the Canopy.

PAVILIONS STRUCTURE Cross laminated timber core & sawn timber columns

The different pavilions at ground floor level are constructed using CLT (cross laminated timber) beams and panels. The roof is made of a flat CLT panel that is supported off laminated timber beams at centers.

The roof soffit is fully exposed, both the roof panel and the beams are designed to sustain the fire load and charring rates that are required in the event of a fire.

Sliding doors

The core in the center of each pavilion is constructed using CLT panels as well, and the perimeter columns, placed at centers in the facade, are sawn timber columns that support the edge of the roof and provide fixing points to the glass faรงade all around the outside.

Base

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RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY ENERGY BALANCE

number

type

W

h

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

power (kWh/year) -262.865

LIGHTING Light poles: 9 m (pedestrian)

9

HM70

70

3,50

-2.205

Light poles: 5 m (pedestrian)

23

LED40

40

3,50

-3.220

200

LED40

40

3,50

-28.000

80

HM

100

4,50

-36.000

1080

LED30

30

3,50

-113.400

48

LED30

30

3,50

-5.040

Light bollards: 0,6 m (park) Light poles: 8 m (traffic) Canopy lighting PAVILIONS Interior lighting Kitchen & appliances PV ENERGY PRODUCTION TOTAL BALANCE PV energy production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 445.000 kWh Canopy lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 113.400 kWh Light poles (8 m). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 36.000 kWh Pavilions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 80.000 kWh Light bollards (0,6 m). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 28.000 kWh Light poles (9 m). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 2.205 kWh Light poles (5 m). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 3.220 kWh TOTAL ENERGY SURPLUS:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 182.135 kWh

-75.000 445.000 182.135

The new park and square feature a series of elements that require a certain electric load, which will be fully provided by the PV solar panels located on top of the Canopy structure (covering 2.200 m2). These solar panels enjoy a great level of performance due to Istanbul's high sun incidence levels, being able to exceed the park's consumption by 70%.

This energy surplus will on one hand reduce the site's global carbon footprint. On the other hand, it could also provide the neighboring buildings with clean, sustainable electricity.

WATER CYCLE The project includes a series of phyto-depuration pools that aim to renew the maximum amount of water on site, and minimize the impact that this new public space would have upon the consumption of this valuable resource.

During rainy seasons, the phyto-depuration pools are filled with rainwater. In drier months, sewage water from neighboring buildings ­— including the large adjacent hotels — is derived into an underground treatment plant, where the organic material is filtered out through an odor-free system, only retaining its nutrients. This filtered water is later distributed into the phyto-depuration pools. From these pools, the water is channeled to be reused for trickle irrigation.

Additionally, a derivation from the existing potable water network feeds into the pavilions underneath the Canopy, the drinking fountains and water features.

Existing sewage from hotel Derivation from sewage system Derivation from rainwater network to 1st-stage treatment plant Existing rainwater network 1st stage to 2nd stage water treatment connection Potable water supply Potable water derivation Underground water treatment plant (1st stage) Phyto-depuration water treatment plant (2nd stage)

SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SYSTEM (SuDS) The project incorporates a sustainable drainage system, featuring the following elements: – Permeable pavements with porous surfaces that allow water to run through for it to be stored and infiltrated.

– Flood-prone parterres and infiltration tree pits that allow for rainwater lamination.

– Infiltration tanks that store and infiltrate water.

The structural SuDS functions by collecting rainwater and favoring its retention and infiltration into the terrain.

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