Reclaiming the Past

Demand: Urban design of a recreation area located around Anadolu Hisarı.

Küçüksu Meadow, which is located around Anadolu Hisarı and has been used as a recreation area for centuries, has an area of ​​approximately 130,000 m2. The project area, located at the junction of Göksu and Küçüksu streams, is the area where the visual relationship with the European side is most intense, as it is the narrowest point of the Bosphorus. Today, the area is accessible by bus and city ferry. It is in contact with many interaction areas located around it, such as the Anadolu Fortress, Marmara University campus, Rope Factory, and Cypriot Mansion.

By researching historical maps and photographs, a basis for the design approach was created by examining the focuses and environmental change in the project area from the first wooden structure established as Küçüksu Pavilion to the present day. In addition, the region has an important history that numerous foreign travelers often mention in their books. By examining the works of travelers such as Julia Pardoe as well as painters such as Zonaro, both written history and visual history references were obtained.  

The project planned in this direction aims to return the gradually lost traces to the design field and urban memory with a new interpretation, while at the same time strengthening the relationship of the area with its environment.