Esra GÖK

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REPROGRAMMING AN URBAN FIELD: LANDSCAPE DESIGN STRATEGIES TO “ATAKULE”

FINAL JURY/GRIDAL SQUARE

By considering our criticsms that we took in the prejury, we enhanced our design. Thus, by adding more trees we tried to create spaces for people and we gave a sense of three-dimensionality in this way.Also,we minimized length of our stairs but in some certain points length of stairs increases to create space for people so that they can watch the scene of the Botanic park and they can experience Botanic Park from different perspectives. And also we added some vertical(red) ad horizontal(white) lights in order to attract people in the night.Morover, there are lights in the intersection of the blocks in order to separate them from each other.

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REPROGRAMMING AN URBAN FIELD: LANDSCAPE DESIGN STRATEGIES TO “ATAKULE”

PREJURY/GRIDAL SQUARE

After our all researches, analyses, syntheses and observations about “ATAKULE” site , we proposed a design to site which will increase usage of Atakule site and Botanic park by removing restrictions and boundaries between surroundings of Atakule and place that Atakule is located&Botanic park and by attracting people.Our design is based upon a gridal system which turns into some blocks in certain points and create combination of floors,stairs and blocks. Height of the blocks is different from each other and this situation gives a sense of 3-dimensionality to our design.Main square (wide one) connects the paths which are coming from different directions and also it leads people to Atakule.Paths creates the stairs which go along the slope of the Botanic Park.In the prejury, we took some criticism about our design project.These criticisms are ; length of our stairs is too big so we should minimize them ,spaces in our design is very poor so we should form these spaces with trees and also connection between the site and surroundings is poor so we should also strengthen it.

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Before this working land , we studied on 1/500 scale . But now we are working on 1/200 scale sketch land because in the jury we will present our design 1/200 scale in order to show our design idea in detailed way. Therefore , we worked on this sketch land and we tried to entegrate our design idea into the site but we haven’t finished yet. When we finished , I will share more detailed information and pictures about our design.

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REPROGRAMMING AN URBAN FIELD: LANDSCAPE DESIGN STRATEGIES TO “ATAKULE”

INITIAL DESIGN IDEA

We started to study on our project on “Atakule” site after the presenting landscape project “Grand Canal Square” that inspires us. At the beginning of the term , when we observed and analyzed Atakule site, we made inferences that there is no intimate relationship between Atakule and Botanic, so it creates boundary for people between Atakule and Botanic. Also it prevents people from coming Atakule, so it decreases the potential usage capacity of Atakule site . These are problems of the site and we want to solve them. Thus, we are studying on project that will enhance the relationship and exceed the boundary between Atakule and Botanic , and also we want to increase the usage of Atakule site by attracting people to Atakule by creating paths that leading people to Atakule and Botanic and creating open spaces that provide people with free time activities.

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“ GRAND CANAL SQUARE ” designed by American Landscape Architect, Martha Schwartz.

● Our poster for the

Precedent Analysis

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

● Since the late 17th century, the Dublin Docklands area has transformed form river estuary to agricultural fields, to toxic brownfield, to vibrant urban neighborhood. Grand Canal Square, the centerpiece of the new development, has played a catalytic role in the most recent reshaping of this once-forgotten part of town.

● Grand Canal Square is the major public open space in the Dublin Docklands Development area. It is located on Grand Canal in Dublin and forms the focal point of this New development. The square is one of the largest paved public spaces in Dublin city.It is expected to become a key cultural destination for Docklands and the city.

● The Square features a striking composition of a red “carpet” extending form the theatre into and over the dock. This is crossed by a green “carpet” of paving with lawns and vegetation. The red “carpet” is made of bright red resin-glass paving covered with red glowing angle light stick.The red “pick up sticks” sitting on top of the carpet pull that quality up into the third dimension and give presence to the square in the context of these fairly large buildings.The red “carpet” not only welcomes people to the theater, but to the Docklands themselves, signifying the positive change that was beginning to take place in the area.The others end of the carpet extends out over the canal, inviting Dubliners to reconnect with their waterfront.

● The green “carpet” of polygon-shaped planters filled with marsh like vegetation provides seating and will connect the new hotel to the office development across the square.In contrast to the dramatic bustle of the red “carpet”, the green carpet provides visitors with a more relaxed experience of the site.Swath is defined by raised concrete planters and gets its color from the native grass. The vegetation creates a reminder of rhe river estuary that once lay beneath the reclaimed land. Bright green perforated metal benches add even more color and provide a place for people to sit down and seek shelter from the wind.

● Grand Canal Square is also criss-crossed by granite-paved paths that allow movement across it in an possible direction, while still allowing for the Square to host major public events such as festivals and performances. The layout can accommodate a diverse range of activities throughout the day and the night.

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Here is Grand Canal Square made by Martha Schwartz in Dublin/Ireland. We have chosen this landscape design project for the assignment “Precedent Analysis”. And we prepared a poster for presenting comprehensive researches and analysis that we did.

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PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

We had the second jury about landscape design project ‘Grand Canal Square’ designed by Martha SCHWARTZ. We were supposed to have a in-depth knowledge on the project, analyze it and present information that we obtain by researching.

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Here is sketch model of our site. It is showing a part of botanic park , place where Atakule is located , square(Cinnah & Çankaya streets) and a part of around the square.

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Sections of the site ‘Atakule’. When we used photoshop, Rhino and paint together, after all these good works come out.

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REPROGRAMMING AN URBAN FIELD: LANDSCAPE DESIGN STRATEGIES TO “ATAKULE” 

SITE ANALYSIS&SYNTHESIS OF “ATAKULE” 

According to our researches and observations in Atakule site, we prepared our poster for the first jury about the analysis of site “Atakule” and we focused on three main subjects on our site analysis :

Publicness Degree

Flow

Boundary 

PUBLİCNESS DEGREE

We observed the site according to their user profiles and then we separated places according to their usage by people ( highly public, semi public, and less public places) . Bus stops and parks are highly public, banks and schools are semi public , consulates are less public places.

FLOW

We observed the site both in the day and night. And then we realized that in the day surrounding of Atakule and Botanic Park are mostly used by people so people density is high in the vicinity but when we look at the Botanic park , it is not used as much as surroundings of Atakule. In the night, people density of cafes and restaurants are mostly high.

BOUNDARY 

We realized that the site is very crowded and there are lots of user profiles for usage of Botanic Park and near Atakule, people do not prefer to use these areas for both natural and artificial boundary. Natural boundary is topography of the site because slope of Botanic Park is too much.Artificial boundary is human - made barriers because connection between Atakule site and Botanic Park is too poor.

 All in all, we were well-prepared for the jury and it was great for us.

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 REPROGRAMMING AN URBAN FIELD : LANDSCAPE DESIGN STRATEGIES TO “ATAKULE”

SITE ANALYSIS & SYNTHESIS

It is group work and our group name is “3+1″ includes Büşra KÖKENER, Zeynep ŞAN, Sevgi TAŞ, Fulya KOÇ and me. Atakule site was given to us for the landscape design project. And then, we were supposed to select one of the assigned topics below and to develop a detailed “site analysis&synthesis”.  

SITE & TIME . Landscape in Context & Time

SITE & BLOCKS . Landscape in Urban Tissue

SITE & INFRASTRUCTURE . Landscape in Relation to Infrastructure

SITE & SENSORY EXPERIENCES . Landscape as Image

SITE & GREEN HABITAT . Landscape in Green System

SITE & PUBLIC SPACES . Landscape as Social Condenser 

We’ve chosen to study on Site&Public Spaces . Thus, we observed the site according to the surrounding public spaces (open spaces and other public instituition etc.), their spatial purposes & characteristics, their user profile, their relation with the project site...

Therefore, Site analysis&Synthesis is important for landscape designer to better understand characteristics of the site. For that reason, we had a trip to the site ‘ATAKULE’ because our first jury was about presenting our research, survey, analysis&synthesis of the site. When we visited the site , we got information about its history, location, climatic conditions, social and physical conditions(plan&section) and also we observed and evaluated it in terms of its problems, constraints and potentials and then we prepared poster about the site analysis  for the jury.Also, these researches and analyses helped us in the design phase because when we observed the site, it consists of Botanic park, Atakule and surrounding of Atakule.When we look at the surrounding of the Atakule, it is a crowded place because it connects main roads and streets of Ankara and most busses and dolmushes routes are on this site. However, when we look at near Atakule , it is not being used by people although Atakule is the landmark and very important place of Ankara. Also , when we look at Botanic Park, it seems like an abondoned park although surrounding of the park is mostly used by people. We made a deduction from these researches and we thought that people of Ankara do not prefer to use Botanic Park and near Atakule as if there is a obstacle or restriction between surroundings of Atakule and Botanic Park&near Atakule. Thus, we aimed to increase potential usage of Botanic Park and near Atakule by designing a landscape project that will attract people.