Connecting groundform: regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic

Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Connecting Groundform MBarch | Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies in Architecture Thesis @Ozge Budak 2021 Abstract Urban fabric of cities can be formed through their context due to their groundform. We live and experience cities while urban life plays a vital role consisting the urban ground. To be able to find possible ground areas in contemporary cities, urban gaps can be a tool to intervene. Through these intentions, the thesis seeks to examine urban gaps for their potentials of uses of ground types. The research studies how does groundform architecture can establish relationships between infrastructure and landscape links in a contemporary city. Showing how architectural landscape integrates into an urban setting through infrastructure comprises the main motives of the research. With investigating the groundform architecture in an urban context, the thesis proposes series of interventions on an urban scale, with the new activities for these territories of gaps. By generating an urban corridor as a connector through public infrastructure using the existing ground and constructing a new ground that functions together, the proposal stitches the gap made between the urban fabric and the waterfront in the focused area, Halic, Istanbul with the aim of reactivating the ground. Keywords groundform architecture, urban gap, infrastructure, landscape, connectivity, urban corridor Connecting groundform To my professors for all of their guidance and support, To my dearest family and friends, and my love, I am grateful for everything. Master Thesis Author Ozge Budak Thesis Advisor Ph.D. Lluis Ortega Studio Architecture and Urban Design Connecting Groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Master Thesis book submitted to Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB), Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) In fulfillment of the requirements for the MBArch | Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies in Architecture, in the line of Contemporary Project, Academic Year of 2020/2021 6 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak STAN ALLEN, LANDFORM BUILDING “The contemporary city is a complex field that changes and evolves in advance of the discipline. Landscape and ecology, understood as dynamic, adaptive systems, offer productive models to understand the complexity of the city today.” The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 7 Introduction The discussions of the issue defined for the thesis as a motive to tackle a contemporary issue related to investigating of the main hypothesis growth about construsting a groundform that shapes into a public space for the city. It intends to open up the scope and seeks to search for solutions as the strategy. The second chapter of the thesis studies how does groundform creates connections according to the typologies between public and space. The third chapter of the thesis explores methodologies of defining infrastructure into landscape. Understand the meanings of landscape by discussing the theories of landscape urbanism helps to unveil its structure. In the light of the previous parts, the last chapter of the thesis zooms in Istanbul by analyzing the urban potentials under the gaps. proposes a connector as a public insfrastructure, and links the waterfront, neighborhood and the vacant landscape gaps. Groundform architecture can offer challenging approaches for expanding cities’ urban life. The thesis aims to research the urban layers according to the usages of urban gaps in Istanbul, Halic with its fragmented layered of a metropolitan city. The city neglected its own public spaces under the name of gentrification. To explore the urban pattern of Haliç within a wider context, Istanbul, the research aims to draw attention to integrate the areas in a concept of the threshold between the community and the urban ground. Therefore, the thesis tries to unveil the urban tissue of the selected block. Creating and linking these urban gaps through comprising public spaces with common functions related to using the voids brings urban life back to the area. By doing so, the research shows how infrastructure can integrate landscape and urbanism with public interactions. The first chapter of the thesis starts with clarifying the main ideas like the structure, therefore it aims to have a general idea for the research. 8 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 1, Plaza of Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Junya ishigami + associates Kanagawa, Japan, 2020, ground as uniting interior and exterior as semi-outdoor The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 9 Introduction Research Questions & Hypothesis Research Aims, Methodology 1. TACKLING the approach through Halic 1.1 The neglected urban condition of Halic, Istanbul 1.2 Using urban gaps for reliving a space, Lost Space Theory by Roger Trancik 1.3 Aim of building new connectivities with the groundform 1.3.1 Shaping small urban scale 1.3.2 Shaping big urban scale 1.4 Hypothesis of Infrastructure becoming the landscape 2. CONNECTING the ground through the groundform 2.1 Into Groundform architecture, Landform Building Theory by Stan Allen 2.2 Groundform as Public Space 2.3 Groundform as Infrastructure 2.4 Groundform as Landscape 3. INTEGRATING infrastructure into landscape 3.1 Shaping urban fabric, Landscape as Urbanism Theory by Charles Waldheim 3.2 Infrastructure as Landscape 3.2.1 Landscape as Infrastructure 3.3 Infrastructure as Urbanism 3.3.1 Landscape as Urbanism 4. REGENERATING the urban gap 4.1 The urban gap 4.2 Project Strategy 4.2.1 As Reactivating ground 4.2.2 As Connector 4.2.3 As Urban corridor Conclusions Appendix Bibliography List of Figures index 7 12 32 50 66 87 89 16 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Halic is characterized from a geographical structure as being an estuary. With accessibility through both sides of the waterfront, it creates connections through bridges and highways. In that way, some of the areas also can point out for reuse of the spaces. Since public life changes and evolves rapidly, many factors define how to use public space such as design, culture, financial resources etc. (1) Throughout the years, the area has created its own way of using spaces according to their needs. Apart from the designed urban areas, the city still needed identified spaces to be implemented. The local users and also mostly tourists, because of all the urban flow, effectuate their own spaces and create defined spaces for their activities by manipulating space with small attributions. To form a space, there should be thinking of the usage of that space to establish connections into places. Configurational arrangements based on space lead to the conception of relationships between user and their production of space. To point out the main discussion of the research, it would be suitable to tackle this neglection issue. There are many unused, forgotten spaces that lead to their non-functionality within the area. Halic plays a unique role of consisting these neglected areas. 1 Gehl, Jan, and Birgitte Svarre. How to Study Public Life. Island Press, 2013. Fig. 4, Istanbul, centered in Halic Fig. 5, Halic, chosen site The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 17 Fig. 6, Neglected urban use, by author JAN GEHL “Cities conduct basic studies primarily in order to gain an overview of how people use the city in daily life.” 18 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 1.2 USING URBAN GAPS FOR RELIVING A SPACE, LOST SPACE THEORY BY ROGER TRANCIK 1. TACKLING the approach through HALIC Urban gaps can be referred as misused, underused or leftover spaces within a city. They can be temporary areas in the periphery of the city. These forgotten spaces can vary in many types. Urban designer Roger Trancik, starts by defining lost space as leftover, unstructured landscapes, unused waterfront areas, or some of the parking lots, or deteriorated parks, or even housing projects such as Pruitt Igoe, because of their unsuccessful way of not to serve their main purposes.(1) He also defines urban voids, according to their typologies. To Trancik, there are several types of urban voids, also can be called gaps; Starting with Planning Voids as empty, vacant areas due to inefficient use of their planning design approaches. Continuing with Functional Voids as also empty, dead spaces which became defunct later because they could not be used, containing legal aspects: general defunct areas and buildings or are even owned by the government. And Geographical Voids − they have geographical features around them such as valleys, hills, rivers etc, making the spaces useless because their designer did not consider their role effectively. 1 Trancik, Roger. Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design. John Wiley, 1986. For their reuse and redevelopments, urban gaps take leftover spaces and turn them into defined spaces for the public. Urban gaps can be found in many spaces across the city. Therefore, they hold the potentials for re-uses of these spaces. In the example of Bentway, the architects of Public Work, saw the opportunity to integrate the people into the space by reimagining the many possibilities under the trailway. The area became alive with all the public activities and events as being a place of gatherings of the urban community. To reactivate a space through public activities by bringing the community together changes urban life efficiently. The massive supportive concrete columns, called “bents” establish functions in each other. The architects have created this urban space under the expressway of 1.75 km length with a 15 m high, working as a canopy that offers this new kind of topography. The re-use of this infrastructure’s base converts the space into a multifunctional space. It generates performative space thats host more than 500 people, also accommodates many facilities such as markets, gardens, public art, public events, skate trails, outdoor theatre etc. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 19 ROGER TRANCIK “As urban designers, we must work as surgeons or auto mechanics and repair the diverse broken parts of the city”. Fig. 7, Bentway, Public Work, Toronto, Canada, 2018, urban gaps reused as a gathering place 20 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 8, Using urban gaps, by author As Trancik analyses and describes these urban void types, he also proposes three-step method to achieve readaptation for their uses.(1) Starting with evaluating the urban space with the urban fabric of the city with its historical values. Secondly, to discover the theories based on their urban spatial design through their context. And finishing with implementing these theories to determine their design. For Trancik, these spaces fail because of their lack of attractiveness to people. To be able to find these 1 Trancik, Roger. Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design. John Wiley, 1986. spaces in order to requalify and give back to their natural environment, they should have been carefully thought out and well designed.They constitute the key factor of shaping urban fabric through context. When dealing with urban gaps as understanding the public life and intervening according to uses with functionalities, it becomes vital to think that if it corresponds to the needs of its context. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 21 Fig. 9, Halic, chosen urban gaps, by author The site is chosen for its aim of connecting the greenery into the waterfront in order to realive the urban space by using its urban gaps. Most of the green spaces are disused and The urban gaps of the chosen site can be referred to as all of the void types that Trancik defines. Planning Voids, because it has empty, leftover spaces that are under the highway tunnel. In this way, these kinds of spaces also have opportunities for urban life. Also, it has Functional Voids, the greenery spaces that are between the car lanes and buildings can be considered among these. Their dysfunctionality due to their context makes them inefficient to use. Furthermore, the waterfront park areas can be identified as Geographical Voids. The area is covered with greenery but doesn’t allow the users to use. Halic, with an identity of being an industrial waterfront, has always been under some waterfront gentrification projects to gain its characteristics.(1) Its regeneration through waterfront activities within urban politics makes the area fragmented and underdesigned based on those changes. By building a diverse pattern across the shore, some parts stayed as their original state, some parts evolved accordingly. While maintaining its partiality through the shore, it is substantial to rethink this relationship between the waterfront and its uses. 1 Bezmez, Dikmen. “The Politics of Urban Waterfront Regeneration: The Case of Haliç (the Golden Horn), Istanbul.” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 32.4, 2008. 22 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 1.3 AIM OF BUILDING NEW CONNECTIVITIES WITH THE GROUNDFORM 1. TACKLING the approach through HALIC Discussing groundform as a key concept for the series of analysis and questions of the research that how ground take shape into forms to build new connections with engaging into architectural typologies, the research intends to analyze and study the groundform architecture in related to their contexts and proposes a new connectivity in waterfront Halic through the greenery based on these groundform types examined through the research. Groundform architecture shapes from the terrain but by taking into consideration of the psychical reality of its structure. To explore these thoroughly, to deepen the question of relating to ground, the research rethinks the possibilities of a new kind of public space with landscape through the infrastructure with using the ground as the main element to tackle. To begin with understanding the use of groundform, it would be convenient to the needs of this approach. Returning back to nature to learn from it and recreate the lost connection in order to achieve its natural balance could be the way to study the groundform.(1) It inspires its architectural form from nature. 1 Kuznietsova, Yana. “Form-making methods in Landform Architecture.” 2020 For us architects and designers, it is crucial to start thinking about context from the beginning, to do so, we try to find sources by looking around us. Thus, to look at nature, in such a way of mimicry with a search for reflection between the architecture and nature, could help perceiving the architectural concept. Making the form of groundform can be in many parameters through buildings or public spaces or landscapes. It can be from either inside or outside the building, can point out or lead to structure, or it can be shaped through the building from its exterior. Considering through public spaces, it can shape cities while directing its periphery, or landscapes, indicating possible influences with its artificial nature. Relating to these, groundform theories and typologies will be examined re-evaluated in the next chapter. While analyzing groundform typologies through determined case studies, a new type of groundform will be proposed. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 23 Fig. 10, Using groundform for connectivities, by author 24 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 1.3.1 Shaping Small Urban Scale To convert a space into a public space, studying urban life in order to build connectivities through users, through a smaller scale. To begin with discussing William H. Whyte’s observational book of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, according to urbanist, people watcher Whyte, there are several factors to be in a small urban space. (1) Whyte studies social life due to some of the elements and evaluates accordingly to these factors, such as sitting spaces, streets, sun, food, water, trees. Sitting spaces, even their sizes, types, materials, or numbers affect people to sit in the urban spaces through circulation. Additionally, natural factors like sun and wind direct people to the urban spaces. They turn away and face where sun and wind do not disturb them, with shadows providing shades. And trees are key factors to design a space, with their existence, people feel protected. 1 Whyte, William H. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Project for Public Spaces, 2001. Water is also can be considered one of the essential elements to include. For its possible uses to play around or just to feel of it, it makes a motive for that space, but access to it also should be thought of, whether if the space will turn into a defined public space. In addition to these, streets are chances for open space gatherings where streetscape take shape through. To perceive the city through eye-level between streets and in the streets, they should see, unless they will not use the space. Fig. 11, New York urban life The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 25 He carefully observes people examine how public life flows around them. The most used activity is looking at other people based on his research. In this way, people tend to be in a space, just to see around. Also, even some spaces not throughout to be public spaces for public interactions such as street corners, storefronts, etc. can involve opportunities to interact with people, therefore urban spaces can be naturally created without being designed. He also discusses how there can be attempts that fail in urban spaces due to their design choices. Some elements occurred as obstacles such as plinths etc., prevent people to change their interests to another direction. Fig. 12, New York urban life, in plazas WILLIAM H. WHYTE “The area where the street and plaza or open space meet is key to success or failure. Ideally, the transition should be such that it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.” 32 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Connecting the ground through the groundform 2 The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 33 Connecting the ground through the groundform chapter 2 This chapter contextualizes the concept of the ground as a connection between the public and the space by showing the typologies ground. 34 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 2.1 INTO GROUNDFORM ARCHITECTURE, LANDFORM BUILDING THEORY BY STAN ALLEN 2. CONNECTING the ground through the groundform Groundform architecture can be understood as engaging with the terrain by forming the ground for opening up to new possibilities for the city. It can have definitions like penetrating into the topography to have potential relationships between the user and the usage for sake of programmatically building new strategies. Groundform establishes a connection between man-made constructions of ground and natural existing topography. Thinking of ground as an essential element to design a space, beginning with adjusting to its context, we can start to think as spatial experiences that ground provides. It shapes spaces, where we connect and interact with people, so therefore, using topography to form a space into a meaningful space becomes essential to consider for us designers. By doing so, it allows its design to corporate with analytical strategies. Relating to these, groundform architecture functions between ground and space which leads land to attach with architectural significances through structure and space. Deriving from terrain, topography builds up in a possibility of contributions in an architectural engagement. This way, it allows establishing relations with human-made constructions in a defined context. Landscape works together with architecture in a way of integrating land through taking into consideration of relations that have been made for the urban space. Establishing a dialogue between land integrated design towards social interactions, brings along new possibilities to suggest experiments in a process of investigations. Public space can be shaped in build environment caused by forming of land in its particular context. The idea of blurring lines between interior and exterior as shaping the ground in order to think of the ground as one element to build connections for uniting spaces helps to understand groundform architecture generally. It generates an argument on how to think by taking into consideration of these prospects by proposing fabrication of terrain through considering new possibilities. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 35 STAN ALLEN “Landform building takes full advantage of the opportunities afforded by emerging fabrication, building, and envelope technologies to construct new, man-made environments.” Fig. 17, Teshima Art Museum, Ryue Nishizawa, Takamatsu, Japan, 2010, ground positioning between interior and exterior 36 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 18, Ivry-sur-Seine, Jean Renaudie, Paris, France, 1969, artifical topography experiments The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 37 Stan Allen refers to Groundform in a theory of Landform Building. The concept covers the main ideas such as its character of formation of artificial landscapes.(1) It aims to develop new questions between nature and people by asking how does nature can be reconstructed in a more organized way. In Landform Building Theory, there are various discoveries dealing with terrain in relation to either bridging landscape and infrastructure, Allen categorizes landform by its form, scale, process, terrain and atmosphere. Landform Building can propose sustainable and environmental solutions through architectural forms. With uniting of architecture and landscape, it offers a new understanding of thinking a combined adaptive system working together. It allows pushing boundaries while experimenting with possible opportunities of surface making, imagining working organisms both vertical, horizontal, in every direction. 1 Allen, Stan, and Marc McQuade. Landform Building: Architecture’s New Terrain. Lars Müller Publishers, 2011. Following the discipline starting with Jean Renaudie’s artificial topographies, terraced social housing project, landscape as constructing ground, the history goes way back in time for the theory. It continues with megastructures of 1960s with an interest in constructed man-made landform types in order to study new design strategies. Allen states “Architecture is situated between the biological and the geological, slower than living beings but faster than the underlying geology.” Between architecture and landscape, thinking object and locating to its field, it suggests new connectivity forms and functional arrangements through defined territories. Thinking projects starting with relating to its context, rebuilding its site with relating to its landscape. 38 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 19, 20, Knubben, Snohetta, Arendal, Norway, to be constructed, man-made topography surface Groundform can be shaped into various architectural programs according to its context. Starting with converting space into a public space, it can function inbetween of surface-making through experiencing urban life. Forming of ground to build a new typology of topography to construct a new urban space for cities determines how does ground define active, social life around common spaces. Public squares play important roles for cities as spaces for social interactions and engagements through the community. To act as unity for certain purposes or even just to be in a common meeting ground, it can ensemble users for sustaining the public realm. Since public spaces are spaces for participation and meetings, they need actors for their identities as constituting spaces. To form a space, there should be thinking of the usage of that space to establish connections. Configurational arrangements based on space lead to outcomes of relations with perceiving space. Designing a space establishes certain characteristics each time. Whatever it is chosen or not, for carving out a space, boundaries are made. To be able to employ these by intervening with ground, groundform works as a mediator of people’s movements and orientations through various viewpoints. Thinking of human scale through the eye-level makes feasible spatial experiences with physical relevances. 2.2 GROUNDFORM AS PUBLIC SPACE 2. CONNECTING the ground through the groundform Designing a space, establishes certain characteristics each time. Whatever it is chosen or not, for carving out a space, boundaries are made. Some of the theories about space, starting with Sociologist Henri Lefebvre, states that space is something that is socially produced and the way that people live their everday life is continously repeated over time, that shapes the meaning of space. According to Lefebvre space can be vary into three classifications. (1) Starting with representations of space (conceived space); spatial practice (perceived space); and spaces of representations (lived space). Representatial spaces Spatial practice is everday acts and spaces, Whether it is designed by an architect or naturally exist, it is impossible to be present without space. For that reason, as we occupying space and interacting with it, should try to understand the senses that it gives as architectural atmospheres. If we produce a space, 1 Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, 1992 The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 39 In Snohetta’s Knubben, the ground is formed in order to engage directly with the water. Relating to Landform Building Theory by Allen, the ground is shaped into an artificial terrain, a public space to gather up all the people in a common sense of leisure activities as creating artificial topography of public space. It demonstrates the layered structure of sitting and meeting spaces as topographical contour maps. The area consists of the amphitheater, open-air stage, and also interior spaces as restaurants. The idea for making these contour lines comes from the site’s earthy rock forms. The project’s main intention of reconstructing 1937’s harbor bath defines a functionalist design approach of Norway. This new structure looks back of the current landscape at Norway and tries to implement it within a notion of transforming into an alive urban space. 40 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Public spaces are produced by creating common spaces for people to participate actively in areas. On behalf of comprising these spaces, their functionalities and adaptiveness should be well thoughted. While practical intentions of designing urban spaces can vary in many factors, common features cover being accessible to everyone as communications centers of cities. Therefore, orienting into spaces through public ground can work to channel users with activities. To interact with community in order to alleviate some major challenges in cities to be able to focus on enhancing accessibility for people to be in a common space, groundform offers innovations and transformations. Since common spaces are made with the process due to their commoning activities, they are relative by their formations. (1) 1 Stavrides, Stavros. Common Space, The City as Commons. Zed Books London, 2016. To unite these key points as a living organism under a common ground, there can be alternative positions through spatial context. In addition to these, Cobe’s Karen Blixens Plads offers an inviting space with its structure of waving terrain made with solid and void areas, openings and closed areas as composing of one whole structure, integrating public space into landscape zones as well as to serving as a central meeting zone for locals, students, commuters. This multipurpose space uses open landscape as climatic solutions as locating biotopes around the square for the rainwaters. Therefore, public ground can provide environmental solutions in order to gain sustainable outcomes. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 41 Fig. 21, Karen Blixens Plads Public Square, Cobe, Copenhagen, Denmark,2019, ground indicating openings STAVROS STAVRIDES “... common space cannot be fixed in the form of a product (no matter how collectively it was produced) because it keeps on producing those who produce it.” 48 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 27, Los Angeles Museum of Holocaust, Belzberg Architects, Los Angeles, USA, 2010, ground as merging into landscape The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 49 JAMES CORNER “I’m fascinated by the interplays between city and nature, between the garden and geography, between small scale and large scale, between art, imagination and something more tangible.” Another example, Los Angeles Museum of Holocaust shows how does groundform can be reshaped from its roof structure as a direct link to its surroundings. This kind of integration between the open landscape and the building itself provides an orientation to its entry into the museum by its users, it draws attention as the first impression of assembling a common entry. The pathways are derived from its current pathway pattern, by this way the whole structure with its landscape and terrain creates a continuous circulation moving smoothly. Submerging the building’s entry down with a descending entry ramp into the underground and merging to its exterior as a landscape generate a contextual relationship. 50 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Integrating infrastructure into landscape 3 The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 51 Integrating infrastructure into landscape chapter 3 This chapter explores methodologies of defining infrastructure into landscape. To understand the meanings of landscape by discussing the theories of urbanism, it aims to extend the scope of relations between these concepts. 52 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 3.1 SHAPING URBAN FABRIC, LANDSCAPE URBANISM THEORY BY CHARLES WALDHEIM 3. INTEGRATING infrastructure into landscape To continue with understanding the motive for the research as infrastructure becoming a landscape, deepening the questions of how landscape affects the urban fabric through urban design defines the relationships between these keywords. Urban design formations have been radically changed during these past decades. In contemporary approaches of landscape and urbanism showed combining of these elements as part of urban designing principles. When we start to explore the Landscape Urbanism Theory by Charles Waldheim, we get a glimpse of attempts of thinking landscape urbanism as a part of contextual meanings due to its theoretical, cultural, social effects as rethinking cities as mediums of landscapes.(1) For that reason, Landscape Urbanism is comprised of urban planning strategies through landscape approaches. 1 Waldheim, Charles. Landscape as Urbanims, A General Theory. Princeton University Press, 2016 The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 53 CHARLES WALDHEIM “Incorporating continuity with the aspirations of an ecologically informed planning practice, landscape urbanism has been equally influenced by high design culture, contemporary modes of urban development...” Fig. 28, 29, Parc de la Villette Competition, Rem Koolhaas/OMA, 1982, strip diagram and isometric planting diagram 54 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 30, Humphry Repton, Landscape Gardener, business card, ca. 1790. Fig. 31, Humphry Repton, Red Book of Moseley Hall, Birmingham, before and after views, 1792 The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 55 He defines landscape architecture as nothing but as urbanism practices. As he mentions “Landscape Urbanism presents an implicit critique of architecture and urban design’s inability to offer coherent and convincing accounts of contemporary urban conditions,” he indicates contemporary urban conditions will continue to exist but if there are attempts of sustaining public realm, there should be thinking of engaging landscape into the urban design process. One of the emerging design ideas of Koolhas, juxtapositions of organizational program of strips of landscape to be able to think of its possible future situations, enables modifications, changes and shifts through its future possibilities. 56 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Infrastructures in cities are relative due to their conditions of not being certain, defined or inconsistent. They can evolve to certain fields or implements, they work strategically and correspond to cities’ urban development conditions based on desired designing principles. Considering urban landscape and infrastructure both working mutually, “conceiving infrastructure as landscape enriches infrastructure with generating architecture, constructing landscapes and living environments” (1) indicates how we interpret infrastructure while working through architecture as well as designing with alternative ways. 1 Nijhuis, Steffen, et al. “Flowscapes Designing infrastructure as landscape.” 2015. 3.2 INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 3. INTEGRATING infrastructure into landscape PIERRE BELANGER “If infrastructure has become the interface through which we understand urban life, then it also provides an index to interpret social and ecologic change.” High Line Park Project is one of the main case studies of Landscape Urbanism Theory, Infrastructure working as Landscape. The project looks at the landscape approach from an unusual perspective. After the railyard was being abandoned, the revitalization of the track and the area is provided by this infrastructure bridge of railyard. Turning the railyard into a park with combining pavements and plants complete each other through all of this approximately 2.33 km park. The designing principle comes from urbanism in order to gather users into this elevated park. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 57 Fig. 32, 33, High Line Park, Diller Scodifio + Renfro, James Corner Field Operations, New York, USA, 2009, railyard track becoming a landscape 64 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 65 Fig. 40, integration between infrastructure, landscape and urbanism, by author 66 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Regenerating the urban gap 4 The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 67 Regenerating the urban gap chapter 4 This chapter proposes an urban corridor as a public insfrastructure, and links the waterfront, neighborhood and the forest areas into the urban gap site street views Fig. 41-44, Halic, site street views 70 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 4.1 THE URBAN GAP 4. REGENERATING the urban gap Fig. 45, Perspective section of the ground, by author The chosen site contains the potential neglected areas of the urban gaps in Halic. One of the reasons that this site has been chosen are, Neglected urban gaps On the site, there are many unused, forgotten spaces that lead to their nonfunctional spaces within the area. Lack of urban Life The site has mainly home to the residents besides the workers and commuters. Since the site does not have a gathering space besides some of the parks, inadequate connection to the neighborhood leaves the area unattended. Conjunction point With its location as a common point between the waterfront, entrance of Kagıthane Tunnel and the highway of Hasdal Okmeydanı, there can be seen flow with pedestrians and public transport. Fragmentary Its disconnected, fragmented typology through the neighborhood to the waterfront makes it a convenient space for potential solutions to come. The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 71 Fig. 46, Site Plan 1/2.000 72 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 47, Current urban gap types, by author Site of Halic, because of its unique topography through its hilly structure, has various types of urban gaps. Starting from the waterfront through the neighborhood, Gap Type A shows the gap between water and the seashore. Continuing with the Type B, under the bridge area of the car lanes is also another type of gap because of its existing ground, where it creates an opppurtinity to merge with that space. Intersection area, Type C, is also another gap type as junction of landscapes that are left aside for the city, not been used as a landscape area by the users. Type D, is an area going towards the neighborhood. Under the entrance of the tunnel bridge, build up with greenery but is vacant. A B C D The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 73 4.2 PROJECT STRATEGY 4. REGENERATING the urban gap Fig. 48, Ground as building relationships, by author Welcoming users parallel to the waterfront in order to invite them with the collective agriculture. On the opposite side, it greets users with the common market area. To integrate into the existing ground under the bridge area, it connects by intervening. 80 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 4.2.2 As Connector The project addresses some of the intersected parts as connections. Common The need of the area, common space is intended to be comprised of. A community with the commoners will help to identify the space as a cluster with the program. Waterfront Along the whole shore of Halic, there is a discontinuity in the means of functions. The idea of bringing the commoners to the waterfront in to the area points out the importance of the waterfront. Park Integrating the green areas into each other to create transitions of parks will serve the community to a role of being part of the space. Public Space With forming a new land for the city, the project seeks to empower the public environment. Sharing these spaces will provide the common activities. Fig. 54, ground south entry, by author The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 81 Fig. 55, Ground as reactivating the under the bridge, north entry, by author 82 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak 4.2.3 As Urban Corridor Fig. 56, Ground as urban corridor, by author The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 83 MEET PERFORM LOOK CULTIVATE Fig. 57, Ground spatial program, by author Ground south entries as market areas Look-out points oriented to waterfront Ground north entries as cultivation areas Performance stages parallel to waterfront 84 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Fig. 58, Ground urban life perspective, by author The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 85 86 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Conclusions The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 87 Afterward, the research continues with understanding and comparing Landscape Urbanism Theory by Charles Waldheim through the case studies and studies on how can infrastructure work with landscape and urbanism. By means of these paradigms and arguments, the thesis tries to implement how does ground can be reactivated into a public space by creating an urban ground and integrating it into the existing ground by using the identified urban gaps. To be able to reactivate the ground, the proposal finds urban gaps and tries to adapt to their context. It merges into the existing ground types of the urban gaps, and proposes a new type of ground to unite with those. As a connector, the ground reconnects the waterfront through the neighborhood with the aim of bringing urban life back to the area. As an urban corridor, there are possible programs introduced, such as meeting areas, cultivation lands, performing stages, look-out points through the waterfront. In contemporary cities, to be able to shape urban design through the needs of urban spaces generates a reconsideration of cities through their urban fabric with thinking of their ground. To find possible relationships through ground-making in order to constitute public life, Groundform architecture enables us to search and study that how we can interpret ground as a new kind of approach in a city through urban design. For this reason, working with urban gaps can create contextual meanings according to their design solutions. In order to tackle this ground-making process, some of the main theories evaluated with the comparative method, starting with Roger Trancik’s Lost Space Theory, as using urban gaps in order to revitalize areas to regain the city's urban design. Continuing with analyzing Stan Allen’s Landform Building Theory with the aim of fabricating terrain in order to investigate how does groundform architecture can be categorized into the typologies. It searches how these case studies reflect terrain and merge into cities urban fabric and how they show these relationships between ground and urban design. 88 Connecting groundform Regeneration of the urban gaps in Halic Author: Ozge Budak Appendix The Contemporary Project 2020/2021 MBArch. ETSAB. UPC 89 REFERENCES Books Articles, Journals Bezmez, Dikmen. “The Politics of Urban Waterfront Regeneration: The Case of Haliç (the Golden Horn), Istanbul.” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 32.4, 2008. Kuznietsova, Yana. “Form-making methods in Landform Architecture.” 2020, https://doi.org/10.13167/2020.21.1. Nijhuis, Steffen, et al. “Flowscapes Designing infrastructure as landscape.” 2015. Türkoğlu, Handan, and Serengül Seçmen. “The role of urban waterfront parks on quality of life in İstanbul.” ITU Journal, 2019, https://jag.journalagent. com/itujfa/pdfs/ITUJFA_16_1_53_66.pdf. Allen, Stan. Points + Lines: Diagrams and Projects for the City. 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