RETRACE: Historical Landwalls Experiences

R E T R A C E

LANDWALLS CHRONICLES

GRADUATION PROJECT

ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

SUMMARY

The historical traces that have layers over the years in the Istanbul Land Walls have created a tangible and intangible cultural heritage in this region. This cultural heritage can be transferred from one generation to the next through the continuous act of “re-creation” and therefore kept alive. With a holistic approach that uses the power of experience to ground the body-place-memory, the “re-tracing” project offers users the opportunity to experience the layers of history. The “Retrace” project reminds that the cultural landscape is not only a reminder, but also a place to live, by offering various programs to increase conscious cultural mobility, protect cultural memory, and ensure local food production and consumption.

The “Retrace” concept offers the users to “retrace” history. In order for an area to be experienced in the most efficient way, the actions of walking, exploring and participating should take place. For this reason, a new transportation-experience route has been proposed primarily for the area. Participation in the route was ensured by suggesting 3 different traffic hubs on the route. It is aimed to teach cultural heritage by including the cultural heritage areas within the city walls on the route. In order to provide experience on the route, 8 different programs have been defined. These programs are: Observation Corridors, Platforms and Stairs, Gathering Areas, Memory Stations, Temporary Museum Areas, Memorial Points, Green Corridors and Surface Water Systems. With these programs, the selected Topkapı Landwalls area was designed.

The “Retrace” Project has been developed in an integrated way with the idea of a phone application, as well as the design decisions and programs it contains. Thanks to the developed retrace route, users will be able to witness the pre-Byzantine, Byzantine, Ottoman and Republican period historical heritages witnessed by the Istanbul Land Walls, creating a historical character for themselves and gaining the feeling of living in the history of the Istanbul Land Walls.