New Gateways

Abstract

Understanding the importance of the relationships between the neighborhoods along the Golden Horn with the actual waterfront was the reason to explore the ways to redefine this degenerated connection. The disconnection is the result of Istanbul’s XXth century industrialization, when the city walls were demolished to construct a highway between the waterside and the neighborhoods. Through researching the organization strategies applied by the Ottomans to structure the waterfront, I propose a new urban scheme, reconnecting the network of neighborhoods with its traditional habitat – the waterfront. The scheme suggests implementing new gateways of the city (Constantinople), the bodily experiences for individuals to reconnect with the tradition of bathing – water. now The neighborhood of Balat is one of the oldest and historically most important neighborhoods of Istanbul’s old peninsula. Before realizing its historical significance, my fascination was triggered by the existent atmosphere. Secluded from the rest of the city from all sides by its urban scheme (layers of the different cities clashing, (Byzantine Constantinople, Ottomans and Turkish Republic), or natural terrain, this network of small, almost gated community-like neighborhoods practically try to burst out onto the Golden Horn. The pressure of seclusion was historically released by the openness to the waterfront and neighborhoods still reach out to restore the balance, destroyed by the segregation due to the construction of the highway, and faceless waterfront. then Looking back in time, the waterfront of the Golden Horn used to be a fruitful industrial and recreational area, organized by the Ottomans in a fashion related to the waterfront. The layers of functions are organized perpendicular, going from neighborhoods, through gateways (through walls) to the waterfront and finally to the actual body of water. Here, gateways enable transition between in (neighborhood, residence, private) and out (waterfront, industrial, recreational, public). method Choosing the site of Balat as a case study for all Golden Horn waterfront neighborhoods, I suggest an urban scheme based on the genealogy of the use of the waterfronts for centuries, altering on a spectrum of recreation, trade, industry and logistics. Green strips of recreational functions (further referred to as the plots) are arranged perpendicular to the water. The precise function depends on the immediate needs of a neighborhood; the width depends on the function. To release pressure from the city, the scheme proposes mitigation points: new gateways, transporting from neighborhoods - in, to the waterfronts - out. new gateways purpose New gateways are the built extrusions of the plots. Their main purpose is providing the experience for transitioning the body to the water. function Their function is merely related to the bodily and mental experience of the water. Like: swimming pool, bathhouse, ferry terminal, fish market, scuba diving or canoeing school, aquarium, cisterns… The function for the case study is an aquatic center, complex of swimming pools and diverse bathing experiences. in and out The building repeats the characteristics of the gateways. It is composed of walls and inbetween open spaces. Transition between these walls and open spaces explores further the coexistence of public and private, open and close, in and out, tradition and modern. The walls accommodate the private, mostly closed traditional functions; they house hammam, private bathes, massage therapies and changing rooms. The visitors are segregated either by gender (hammam, changing rooms), or choice (massage therapy, balneotherapy). The atmosphere here is secure, calm and dimmed, a bodily experience - sheltered. Outside, the walls are surrounded by open, public, modern functions; here men, women and children bath under the sun together. Lazy sunbathers lay on the grass, lively kids slide or play with the shallow pool water. Water reflects the sunlight; the atmosphere is - exposed. material The walls are the gates (from public to private, tradition to modern, open to close…) within the gateway (built extrusion of the plot), reminiscent of Constantinople’s city walls; they wrap themselves with limestone, exposing their real (true) nature (poured concrete) only where it’s been carved out (portals). Conclusion The project can be read as a conceptual fractal system. On each scale, starting from the urban scheme up to the materialization, the theme of gateways—transition from one state to another, related to the bodily experience—is attempted. The aim was to create contrasting spaces, located in proximity of each other, and lead visitor from one to another thru architecture, by exposing to the somewhat preview of what awaits, drawing to explore and go further.