Two Squares

by Sarkis, Hashim

• ISBN13: 9780935617894
• ISBN10: 0935617892
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-01
• Publisher: Harvard Univ Graduate School of

Summary

Through a series of essays by urban historians and designers, Two Squares examines the changing role of public space in the cities of Beirut and Istanbul as they undergo major urban redevelopment. The study of Beirut looks at the redesign of Martyrs' Square, the city's primary public space, in the aftermath of the civil war and the ongoing reconstruction efforts to rebuild the center. In Istanbul, the focus is on Sirkeci Square, one of the main intermodal hubs in the historic peninsula, as it readies itself to host a new station for the first under-Bosphorus train tunnel. The two urban transformations are taken as opportunities to examine the nature of public space in the 21st-century city, the history and evolution of public life in Beirut and Istanbul, and the possibilities of using these vital transportation nodes as opportunities for new landscape, urban, and architectural design strategies. The book also includes a series of hypothetical design projects for these two squares.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 06
Acknowledgments	p. 08
Beirut
Square One: Martyrs Square, Downtown Beirut
A Vital Void: Reconstructions of Downtown Beirut	p. 10
Reclaiming the Bourj	p. 24
Considering Public Life in Beirut	p. 50
Square One Studio: Site and Context	p. 58
Square One Studio: Student Work	p. 60
Istanbul
Intermodal Istanbul, Sirkeci Square
On the Regeneration of the Golden Horn	p. 96
Sirkeci Square: The Evolution of a Transient Space	p. 114
Intermodal Istanbul Studio: Site and Context	p. 128
Intermodal Istanbul Studio: Student Work	p. 130
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