MVRDV . ABOUTBLANK

Yenikapi Transfer Point and Archaeo-Park Area . Istanbul

MVRDV . ABOUTBLANK

A high-functioning public realm is crucial for the success ot the design approach, is a major catalyst for Yenikap's regeneration.

PUBLIC REALM
Yenikapi has been a crossroads for thousands of years and now celebrates this historic distinction with a public realm design that reflects all the great qualities of a vivid meeting place These qualities include allowing for a diversity of people and activities to mix trade and interact both in formal and informal contexts. The spaces created such as archaeo-grids, wet parks, meadows, orchards, sunken excavation plazas, ancient wall traceways etc. are adaptable to different needs over the course of a day or a longer period of time. In this way the public realm, because of its anticipated intensive usage, becomes highly legible as well as robust and sustainable. To achieve the ambitions of a lively public platform inter-mixing the urban and recreational uses, the design process is thought to become responsive and engaging with a thorough and in-depth understanding of the city and its users needs and desires. In this regard, the Archaeo-Landscape that acts as a widespread public framework in this project, is not only the activator of the urban texture, but also the headquarters of a larger connective topographical platform, which binds the city to the coastline. This collective path produces a design which is derived from this particular site, is responsive and recalls the deep history of the site, yet embraces both the present and future to create a delightfully innovative and captivating environment emblematic of the groat city of Istanbul.

THEARCHAEO PARK
With the help of the new underground metropolitan rail transport system, thousands of years of history are to be opened up, and the historical treasures beneath the surface will become visible for all see. This process of digging and opening up the underground is celebrated in this project by using the actual archeclogical grid as a conjunctive and disseminated Archaeo-Landscape base. The gridded landscape is then punctured to create new Archaeo-Apertures that not only display the site's history, but also give glimpses the area's future uses. The largest of tbese apertures are the sunken plazas of the two jewels of the Archaee Park: the City Archive and the Transfer Center Both are connected underneath the Archaeo Park in a rich setting, which permits experiencing the archeological findings, their process ot discovery and preservation in situ. Once the archeological operation is completed in any piece of the gridded zone, the grids re-join the flow of file landscape and Hie Archaeo Park. This creates a landscape of soft green spaces around the City Archive, a bard urban plaza around the Transfer Center and a symbolic wot park with orchard gardens inside the Ancient Theodosius Port walls. In this way. Yenikapi Transfer Point and Archaeo-Park symbolize the intersection between the past end the future of the city and unite Istanbul's most important metropolitan areas.

INFRASTRUCTURALFRAMEWORK
The development and enhancement of publictransport systems are of extreme importance to the sustainable development of large metropolitan areas. The rapid urbanization of the global population should go hand in hand with intelligent designs for smooth and clean transportation. Yenikapi Transfer Center, in the core of this zonal infrastructure framework (Holistic Inter-link) is designed as an effective and tight node. At the same time is connected to the environment, like an open system and integral pert ot the surrounding city. Attractive public transport systems help people to live with more comfort, like a life-support system. They should do so in an unintentional way. creating flows with added values along the way. Yenikapi Transfer Center is a distinctive place, providing memories and adding value and services to the travelers' life. Contemporary transfer points act as catalysis for urban regeneration end development. With the help of Yenikapi Transfer Center, a community-based Urban Diversification strategy is implemented through the urban vision zone. It first conserves the historical texture with its cosmopolitan heritage, and second injects different urban functions to attract diverse populations with different socio-economical backgrounds On the other hand the physical presence of transport systems should not be a burden on or barrier to the immediate environment They should be efficient, hut also as modest as possible in size, which has been one of the basic principles to density Yenikapi Transfer Center and feed into back the urban space with a continuous sunken plaza. As a resulL Archaeo-Landscape and the Holistic Inter-link as an infra structural framework are organized to coexist in mutually beneficial way.

URBAN SU5TAINABILITY
Creating an inventive park environment is one ot the main aspects of the Yenikapi project To create a high quality park, providing good growing conditions is a key element Sustainability is embedded in the Transfer Point and Archaeo Park mostly on an urban level. Implementations of proven and new technologies are proposed where they find synergy with its direct surroundings: Ihe benefits should serve the public realm. From a point of view of urban sustain ability several
interesting options are incorporated.
A solar roof is by far not sufficient to acclimatize a museum, but it could bring light to the park and the excavation pits. A windmill on coast is not sufficient to operate e station, but the energy could easily pump the collected rain water to the vegetation throughout Ihe park and it might light the new boardwalk connections from the city to the coastal park. The rubble from the demolished structures will not be enough to build the archive, but it would be a perfect base for retaining wells around the excavation pits.
As the soil is probably polluted by the present usage, and clean water in Istanbul is scarce, additional measures have to be taken. The dirt removed from the transfer and archive pit will need to he transported from Ihe site due to its quantity; it could be used for reinforcement and reshaping of the landfill along the coastal line.By combining the archeological process with soil treatment excellent growing and filtering conditions in the park can be achieved in line with the future development of the park. The soil balance can be maintained within the boundary of the development
The design ot a climate proof waterstorage (using rainl solves the needforcleanwatertor irrigation without burdening the prohlemabc water situation in Istanbul. The rain water, coming down from the northern city on to the lower-lying landscape, will be captured and stored in wells. These water points are mostly situated within the old city walls; a playful reference to ttie Theodosius times.

Credits
Urban Planning & Architecture: MVRDV, ABOUTBLANK
Architecture: MVRDV
Landscape Architecture: MARTHA SCHWARTZ PARTNERS – MSP
Economy: ARCADIS
Transportation Expert: ARCADIS
Engineering Expert: ARCADIS
Sustainability Expert: ARCADIS
Archaelogy: Prof. Musa KADIOGLU
Art History, Ottoman Epigraphy: Ismail Gunay PAKSOY