Ilgın KülekçiAdrian De Miguel SimonLura CuccuSimon TirkelEce Üstün

GEZI AS A GIFT AS A PARK [Remapping Istanbul]

1. naturally A park in a crowded city could be seen as a natural gift. It creates a common green area which allows citizens to enjoy the weather without getting out of the city. With its

spaciousness and wideness, it offers free space to move, to sit, to relax and to spend more

time outside. It can also be considered as a combination of free space and free time.

PARK as a natural gift

2. socially&politically

The reconstruction project which is presented as a huge gift and hard work. Social and political control over this common area tried to convert the park

into a commercial center: to a designed/controlled/walled shopping center.

PARK as a political gift

The reconstruction project is not welcomed. And it is rejected by citizens. After an occupy to

Gezi Park, the government reevaluated the whole area of Taksim, and made a new distribution of power control. After taking-back Gezi Park from the chapullers, the

municipality closed it and opened with its new decorated style after 23 days. But it is taken back in a few hours, and then reopened. The opening and closing deal continued according to citizens’ attitudes and new events. So the citizens should be proper to merit Gezi Park.

PARK as GEZİ

Gezi Park creates its borders with policemen just where the green area is

completed, and the opening and closing warning is set by the public tension,

and decided by government.

PARK as GEZİ

In Istanbul most of the parks were gardens of

several palaces. They were offered to citizens by sultans or by municipality and

became public areas. But because of their architectural properties as a part of a palace, they

have walls and doors. So they can be shut down and opened.

GEZİ as a PARKin ISTANBUL

They could not be integrated directly within the city and they are not natural extensions of the urban life, since they are not designed as urban parks. Gezi Park and Maçka Park

are designed parks but they also have walls and doors

GEZİ as a PARKopening and closing

Area surrounding Taxim and Maçka Park

Maçka Park

Taxim Square

Gezi Park

Conceptual analysis of the area

GEZİ and MACKA PARK topographical obstacles

Maçka Park has its frontiers through the route, and a decorated entrance. The topographical character might also obstruct the daily usage.

GEZİ and MACKA PARK topographical obstacles

In conclusion, we can question

what people deserve for free in a cityand the consummation and the assessment of the ‘urban gift’

and the power control of the gift owner

-reformulating by adorning and offering as improvements-the function change of several places in Taksim: re-taking the public places: Taşkışla, AKM, Gümüşsuyu, İnönü Stadium-new projections