1. Ilgın Külekçi Adrian De Miguel Simon Lura Cuccu Simon Tirkel Ece Üstün GEZI AS A GIFT AS A PARK [ Remapping Istanbul ]

2. 1. naturally A park in a crowded city could be seen as a natural gift. It creates a common green area which allows citizens to enjoy the weather without getting out of the city. With its spaciousness and wideness, it offers free space to move, to sit, to relax and to spend more time outside. It can also be considered as a combination of free space and free time. PARK as a natural gift

3. 2. socially&politically The reconstruction project which is presented as a huge gift and hard work. Social and political control over this common area tried to convert the park into a commercial center: to a designed/controlled/walled shopping center. PARK as a political gift

4. The reconstruction project is not welcomed. And it is rejected by citizens. After an occupy to Gezi Park, the government reevaluated the whole area of Taksim, and made a new distribution of power control. After taking-back Gezi Park from the chapullers, the municipality closed it and opened with its new decorated style after 23 days. But it is taken back in a few hours, and then reopened. The opening and closing deal continued according to citizens’ attitudes and new events. So the citizens should be proper to merit Gezi Park. PARK as GEZİ

5. Gezi Park creates its borders with policemen just where the green area is completed, and the opening and closing warning is set by the public tension, and decided by government. PARK as GEZİ

6. In Istanbul most of the parks were gardens of several palaces. They were offered to citizens by sultans or by municipality and became public areas. But because of their architectural properties as a part of a palace, they have walls and doors. So they can be shut down and opened. GEZİ as a PARK in ISTANBUL

7. They could not be integrated directly within the city and they are not natural extensions of the urban life, since they are not designed as urban parks. Gezi Park and Maçka Park are designed parks but they also have walls and doors

8. GEZİ as a PARK opening and closing

9. Area surrounding Taxim and Maçka Park

10. Maçka Park

11. Taxim Square Gezi Park

12. Conceptual analysis of the area

13. GEZİ and MACKA PARK topographical obstacles

14. Maçka Park has its frontiers through the route, and a decorated entrance. The topographical character might also obstruct the daily usage. GEZİ and MACKA PARK topographical obstacles

15. In conclusion, we can question what people deserve for free in a city and the consummation and the assessment of the ‘urban gift’ and the power control of the gift owner -reformulating by adorning and offering as improvements -the function change of several places in Taksim: re-taking the public places: Taşkışla, AKM, Gümüşsuyu, İnönü Stadium -new projections