A WEB OF POSSIBILITIES
22 Mar 2017
The masterplan for a public park in Istanbul features an elevated walkway among the trees that overlooks a ‘web' of zones, each one presenting a range of unexpected discoveries that deliver individual experiences for park users.
New York studio Dror has released a masterplan for an Istanbul park that features elevated walkways amidst the treetop. The planned public park in Istanbul is described by Dror as “a love story between people and nature in a city with no central park.”
Known as Parkorman, Dror’s masterplan comprises a series of different zones, each with their own distinct characteristics. “Instead of dictating one’s path through the park, visitors write their own experience,” explains the design team.
“Numerous non-linear pathways, like calligraphy, weave through the existing woodland, surprising people with unexpected discoveries along their journey.”
The masterplan is comprised of five separate areas, with interaction and play encouraged through a series of interventions spread throughout. The five zones are comprised of: the plaza, an open space for gathering at the entrance of the park; the loop, a series of swings and hammocks that sway above the forest bed; the pool, giant ball-pits inspired by Turkish spice markets; the chords, a winding, elevated footpath that forms large loops with integrated trampolines; and the grove, a maze-like trail populated with sculptures that relate to the landscape. Finally, a cube-shaped fountain sends water down all four of its sides.
“Existing green spaces in Istanbul are few and far between,” notes Dror. “When considering the approach for a park located six miles north of the city centre, we asked ourselves: how do we draw strangers-to-nature to this destination?”
“We set out to create a park that dissolves the anxiety and fear that often accompanies an unfamiliar environment through a network of conditions that fosters unconditional love. We imagined the most profound experience delivered through the lightest touch; an effort that preserves the lush forest and leaves every tree in place, as mandated by the city,” claims the firm.