PIXEL

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Competition: Istanbul City Walls Topkapı Kaleiçi Square Urban Design Competition

(Fatih Municipality)

Period: March - May 2022

Type/Program: Urban Design

Surface: 20.300 m2

Location: Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey

Status: National Competition

Team: Özge ZABUN(M.Arch.- Lead Architect), Hande ZABUN ESER(M.Arch.), Mustafa Gürol ACAR (Urban Planner – Consultant), Ozan GULER(landscape Arch.- Consultant),

Zeynep AKDEMIR(Assistant-Arch.), Handenur DEMIRARSLAN (Assistant-Arch. Student),

Zeynep UNER(Assistant-Arch. Student)

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Competition: Non Architecture Award 2022

Period: 2022

Status: International Competition, HONOURABLE MENTION

Related Link: https://www.nonarchitecture.eu/competitions/

 

Looking at the city from the upper scale, it can be seen that the continuity of the green area, the food and drink area, the footpath, the historical and cultural structures, the road and the city walls are interrupted, and it is possible to see these interruptions as pixels. In the context of these pixels, the aim is to identify the breaks in the city and to repair them. Again, the pixels multiply and come together to create the design character on the city floor. The natural and built environment and the urban theme; cultural route, health route, gastronomic route and green route are the focus of the design proposal that aims to repair these fractures.

 

Situation of Topkapi Square in History

Design continuity is provided by cycling. The location of historic and cultural structures has been a consideration in the design of the cycle route. Viewpoints have been created along the route where these structures can be seen and where cyclists can stop. Thanks to the possibility of looking at the city/history from different heights and the uninterrupted transport provided by the cycle path, it is hoped that users will be able to experience this region, where historical and cultural heritage is preserved, from different perspectives. The cycle path, which changes/transforms/organises the context through which it passes, is designed together with the green and pedestrian continuity at the edge of the City Walls. However, considering today’s layout plans, the narrowness of the pavement and road widths does not allow the continuity of the cycle path. By providing this continuity on the upper level, the design will also adapt to the existing urban environment. In the footsteps of this cycle path, which we can describe as a spatial-public backbone, green spreads out at ground level. This green texture has been moved into the 3rd dimension by rising at a certain angle to provide spatial and action- oriented opportunities for people to sit and for children to play. The green gains a spatial/volumetric content. It defines the square and becomes a design element to observe the social and cultural activities in the square.