TERSANE ISTANBUL_HALIC SHIPYARDS URBAN TRANSFORMATION PROJECT

Istanbul is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, populated since at least the 667 BC. Throughout the history, the Golden Horn has been Istanbul’s inner harbor and has a longstanding legacy of shipbuilding and repairs located in shipyards. In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II established an imperial shipyard across the Golden Horn from Constantinople, in the formerly Genoese suburb of Galata. During the Republican Period, it became a natural port for merchant vessels and warships, and at the same time a shipyard zone while the upper part sustained to be a popular excursion and leisure area summer resort of the city  where mansions, waterfront residences and pavilions lined up as the extension of the Bosporus. After 1960s, the region lost its charm under the pressure of socio-economic conditions and became a commercial and industrial center, which resulted in irregularly emerged residential hubs and caused a deterioration in life and building quality of the surroundings as well as the Golden Horn itself. After many years staying almost derelict, the first cleaning works began in 1984. By means of a strategic transformation, recently the Golden Horn with its close vicinity is ready to reclaim the prestigious identity of the past to become a vigorous extension of the city. The perception of the coastline from the sea emphasizes the image of the city; the new project that houses marinas, hotels, housing, offices and leisure areas will respect and protect the symbolic silhouette of old Istanbul.  All new and renovated structures dedicated to various functions will integrate in skyline and in harmony with the existing urban texture.