Imagine Taksim – Taksim Square Ideas Competition

Awarded first prize in the 2020 Imagine Taksim – Taksim Square Ideas Competition, the project proposes a public ground scheme that brings Taksim Square and its surroundings back into the everyday life of the city's residents. Today used largely as a space of transit, the square is transformed through overlapping layers into a living space that responds to different user groups and different times of day. A continuous cycling and running route encircling the square and Gezi Park, together with night lighting, makes the area usable at any hour. The event layer includes open-air cinemas projected onto the ground, sports and play areas, and rest units with information boards. The pedestrian layer connects Gezi Park to the square through an axis running along the square's edges. This axis is lined with shaded seating units and rest stops, while bus stops are turned into shaded waiting areas. In Gezi Park, terraced gardens strengthen the green fabric, and the park stairs, fitted with modular seating blocks, become a place to meet and watch the city. Around the Republic Monument, the ground is redesigned to prioritize pedestrians; with green areas, seating units and animal-friendly touches, it opens the square's symbolic center to the everyday use of city residents.