ANATOPYA/ CONSTRUCTION OF THE FUTURE BY UNDERSTANDING THE PAST

URBAN DESIGN

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Competition: "Odak Ürgüp" Idea Project Competition for the City Center

Period: 2024

Type/Program: Cultural And Public

Surface:  7785m2

Location: Ürgüp/Nevşehir, Turkey

Status: Competition Proposal

Team: Aslı Özge ZABUN(M.Arch.), Hande ZABUN ESER(M.Arch.), Handenur DEMİRARSLAN(Arch.),

Elif Dilara ALAN (Arch.)

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PUBLIC SPACE PRODUCTION POLICY / BRIDGE BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

 

Anatopia, as a way of thinking, is a concept that aims to carry the spatial, operational and cultural traces of the past to the future. Anatopia, which contains the memories of history, cultures, sociological structure and places in its roots, is an attempt to establish the present and the future by reinterpreting the knowledge of the past. This concept can be considered not only as a static transfer as a reflection of history, but as the recreation of the past and the future in an organic and dynamic dialogue.

Anatopya adopts both a historical and innovative way of looking. It positions the past not merely as an archive or reminder, but as the foundation and guide of the future. In this context, Anatopia develops an innovative architectural perspective that focuses on social, physical and temporal connection, at the intersections of the past with contemporary needs. Rather than a nostalgic longing for the past, this understanding turns into an approach that blends the cultural codes of the past with the needs of the future and offers sustainable spatial solutions.

Inspired by the experiences of the past while building the future, anatopia continues its existence as a component of experiences, cultural values ​​and collective memory while internalizing social memory.

Urbanization and Fake Nature: From Kanlıca Valley to Square Design

While Kanlıca Valley was a place where streams flowed and trees grew, contributing to the ecosystem of Ürgüp as a natural landscape area in the past, today it has become a region stuck within the dense texture of the city center. During the urbanization process, the valley gained functions such as a market and a bus terminal and is still used as a bus terminal today. While proposing Kanlıca Valley as a Square today, it is clear that returning this area to its past natural landscape would create a romantic and fake naturalism. From this perspective, it is necessary to understand the current context of the valley and develop an urban transformation proposal appropriate to it. While adopting the idea of ​​establishing a unifying Square that would include all the rhythm of the city as the focus of Ürgüp, the desire to establish a transformable space that would be a bridge between the past and the future, based on the memory in the region, was prioritized.

The fact that Kanlıca Valley has become a part of the urban fabric today requires re-evaluation without ignoring spatial memory but without attaching extra meanings to it. The attempt to create a false naturalness is a frequently discussed concept in landscape design, and we can call it the illusion of idyllic picturesqueness or nature stripped of its needs. Such approaches attempt to create a fake nature to imitate the history of a naturally formed area, but this effort usually remains superficial in terms of both aesthetics and functionality and cannot meet the real needs of the area. In the case of Kanlıca Valley, a square arrangement that only aims to revive the natural landscape of the past without considering the needs of today's life in the region will create a perception of "fake nature" disconnected from today's ecological and social context.

In this context, reconsideration of the old Kanlıca Valley and today's bus terminal necessitates the proposal of a square that will evoke its historical memory but respond to today's urban needs, rather than copying the natural landscape of the past as it is. However, rather than creating an idealized image of the past, this design aims to make the space function as a sustainable public square in an urban context.

Reconsidering the area as a landscape blended with urban dynamics will create an urban square that respects the historical heritage of the valley, as well as offering an aesthetic, functional and sustainable space of togetherness for those living in the area.

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS / CONJUNCTIONS

The routes integrated into the square design connecting events, culture and gastronomy in Ürgüp aim to enrich the user experience by supporting the social and economic vitality of the city. These routes bring visitors to the square passing through historical and cultural venues, while also allowing them to discover local gastronomy spots. Information and exhibition areas located along the routes introduce visitors to the cultural heritage and local flavors of Ürgüp. This flow makes the square a dynamic part of the city, increasing commercial interaction and enabling urban areas to function as a social meeting point. These routes, which contribute to the urban identity, contribute to sustainable tourism by supporting the local economy.

1.ACTIVITY CONJUNCTION

Balloon take-off points, festival/feast areas, handicraft workshops, safari, ATV

2. CULTURE CONNECTION

Registered buildings, museums, ruins, underground caves, Temenni Hill

3. GASTRONOMY CONJUNCTION

Vineyard houses, wine cellars, local restaurants

TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS / TRANSFORMATION OF THE SQUARE WITH A PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY APPROACH

It is suggested that the minibus stops and routes on Güllüce Street, where pedestrianization is proposed, be moved to Güllüce Street and Suat Hayri Ürgüplü Street. Indoor and outdoor parking spaces for users coming to the area are indicated on the transportation proposal map. Güllüce Street, for which pedestrianization is proposed, and Cumhuriyet Square were interacted with each other through the amphitheater.

IN SUMMARY;

This study examines the idea of ​​"Anatopia" as a concept that carries the spatial and cultural traces of the past to the future, and within the framework of this concept, the transformation of the old Kanlıca Valley in Ürgüp from a bus terminal area and its reconsideration as a public square. Rather than merely archiving the past, Anatopya aims to create a sustainable public space by blending it with contemporary needs. In this context, the square proposal aims to create a public space that refers to the historical memory of the area and responds to the social, ecological and functional needs of the city, rather than reviving the natural landscape of the past.