- 4 May 2025
- 14132 defa okundu.
Mecidiyekoy Square
Mecidiyeköy Square in Şişli, Istanbul was designed by caps.office.
The basic design approach of the Mecidiyeköy Square arrangement is the idea of creating a safe, controlled and green square for users by separating the green area from the traffic noise and density of this area, which is surrounded by roads on all four sides, with a herbal buffer. In the field evaluations, the noise pollution and the visual fatigue caused by the vehicles were buffered with the green area, so the two sides of the square were controlled.
Considering pedestrian crossings and mobility, slowed down traffic in the areas where the main pedestrian connection is provided and the Square has been transformed pedestrian friendly. The main transition link is designed as a hardscape as the backbone through which people pass quickly during the day, and this pedestrian link is built with lighting poles and directions. A single type of tree was used throughout the Square, and this tree with a white trunk was intended to contribute to the artistic identity of the Square. Tree grids were specially thought of as art bases, and an approach was developed where the works of the artists would be exhibited together with the trees, and the square would develop over time with sculptures and works of art. In the area where the green area is located, wooden seating steps where people can sit, breathe and rest, kiosks on the rapid pedestrian crossings of the square and seating elements in the areas where these kiosks are located. For this area, where the vegetation character of the square is intense, a city square was designed with carbon-retaining plants, thus contributing to carbon reduction. Trees and plants reduce noise pollution and visually create a barrier to traffic density, thus making the Square comfortable for pedestrians.
Mecidiyeköy Square, as a transportation hub, is an area where people pass, stop by and set foot countless times during the day. Mecidiyeköy Art and Istanbul Bookstore has been placed in the Square, with an approach that will make it possible for the Square not only to be a place to be passed, but also a space to be stopped, expected and met, and a stop area has been created for the citizens to meet with art. In the general approach of the buildings, the concept of encountering art has been adopted, and it has been designed as a city screen in a fiction that is seen, watched and contacted from the outside. Thus, an art that is watched in all day (24 hours) will be a part of the daily life of the citizens.
The square and buildings were completed in October 2021 and opened for use.