Taraklı Town Square
The park in the centre of Taraklı, didn’t suit the historical site with it’s unqualified concrete walls unknown when they were added, unplanned buildings like the restaurant and the tea house constructed not accordinly to a plan. In the design process, considering the square as an ‘openness’, taking references from the historical environment and leveling the park with the existing slope played an important role. Transparency’ and ‘accessibility’ were held in the foreground in the relation of the square with surrounding roads, historic buildings and bazaar to form a common platform where visitors and locals could meet.
For this purpose, the stairs and ramps created between the park’s end elevations provided calm transitions. Foresight, it was imagined that daily social activities could be intertwined with tourist activities in these areas, so that different experiences could emerge for different users. The city park has been transformed into a square where visitors can be informed about the history of the town and the town’s residents can refresh their urban memories. The area was part of the Taraklı bazaar till the 1950s.
The plan projections of the demolished shops are shown on the floor with material difference. On the granite floor showing the traces of the historical buildings, the names of the tradesmen/shops – such as “Blacksmith Hayri, Solakzade Bakery” – were carved. The park was also supported by information walls and visuals at various points.
AWARDS
- Arkitera Turkey Architecture Annual Selection, 2015
- Turgut Cansever International Architecture Award, Building Award, 2019
INFO
Location: Taraklı, Sakarya, Türkiye
Client: Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality
Team: Y. Burak Dolu, Bora Akın, Ufuk Pehlivan, Kübra Kaçtıoğlu, Emre Doğanlar, Vuku Design, Yeliz Dilaver, Seda Sezen
Project Date: 2014 – 2015
Construction Date: 2015 – 2016
Indoor Area (m²): 150
Land Area (m²): 3350
Type: Landscape, Urban Design
Program: Town Square
Scope: Concept Design, Schematic Design, Detailed Design, Site Supervision
Lighting Design: KOOP Architects, Vuku Design
Main Contractor: Surtaş Mining Construction
Photograph: Çetin Aykırı, Emrah Onal, Mesiha Meryem Uzun, Murat Temiz, Şahin Akı
Gallery
Project Location
KOOP Architects
Şahkulu Mahallesi,
Kumbaracı Yokuşu, No:57, D:5,
Beyoğlu / İstanbul / Türkiye
Al Tayseer Street, No 67, Flat 403,
Al Ain Central District, Abu Dhabi, UAE