PALIMPSEST

Istanbul's geographical location at the confluence of two continents, a unique historical structure formed by the effect of three great empires, and its genetic structure combined with the reflection of different religions and cultures show us that it has a unique urban mosaic. 

This mosaic, which is stacked in layers on top of each other, is identical to the concept of palimpsest, like unreadable inscriptions overlapping each other. The defensive walls, which are a part of this unique mosaic, have hosted religious buildings from past to present, different religious places such as cemetery areas and various production areas such as the garden that contributes to the production of the city. Our mission was to renovate a relatively new bus station which is located inside the UNESCO-protected defensive walls into the new city square. 

The project deals with the nowadays problems from city planning scale to urban furniture scale. The turmoil, which is the superimposition of the different functions and structures of the square from the past and present constitutes the core of the square project. The basic components of this dynamic structure and active city square are realized under the concepts of diversification, harmony and integration.