urban botanical forest:
beyond taksim square

shortlisted entry / Taksim Square International Urban Design competition

scope proposal for urban landscape strategies
type masterplan
date 2020
location Taksim Square, Turkey

In collaboration with Hayrettin Gunc, Erdem Tuzun, Yelta Kom, Elif Tan

As part of the Urban Green Network, the Urban Forest Trail weaves together existing and proposed focal nodes within and beyond Taksim Square. The trail connects the series of parks (ex. Gezi Park, Maçka Park, & Ismet Inonu Park), public spaces, landmarks (Dolmabache Palace Garden) and potentially semi-public spaces (ex. Hilton Hotel garden), in a rich pedestrian and cycling experience. The trail is guided by iconic and modular visual elements & supported via a virtual platform that also allows a botanical educational experience. Along the trail are viewpoints and stops, and temporary pop-up events in collaboration with cultural institutions in the neighborhood (ex. ITU Faculty of Architecture).