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.

award pictogram

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

 

 

info@koopmimarlik.com

 

+90 212 293 73 83

 

 

 

+971 0 50 412 71 00