Global Design Forum Istanbul's Public Installations: Praise of Transience
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
The Global Design Forum Istanbul , held from May 13-16, brought together diverse voices from the fields of design, architecture, and culture in Istanbul. In addition to talks, panels, and city-wide events, one of the forum's most striking aspects was its temporary architectural interventions in public spaces.
The Istanbul edition of the Global Design Forum, a long-standing event within the London Design Festival , featured seven different installations under the Placemaking program, with Melek Zeynep Bulut as art director. Gathered under the title “Praise of Transience,” these projects invited a rethinking of the relationship between architecture and the body, transience and permanence, and humans and space.
The common thread among these installations was that instead of viewing the structure as an object that withstands time, they treated it as an organism that changes over time, interacts with the user, and is completed by the experience.
Let's take a closer look at these installations, which can be visited until June 7th.
Yakîn
Located within the Topkapi Palace complex , Yakîn proposes to look at the concept of space beyond physical boundaries. Inspired by Islamic thought and Sufism, the installation questions whether space is defined solely by walls and structures, but can also exist within the inner world of the individual.
At the heart of the project lies the idea that humans are layered and constantly transforming beings. This idea is made visible through the silk curtains used as the main element of the space. The dynamic and semi-transparent layers guide visitors away from the ever-changing rhythm of the city towards a calmer and more holistic experience.
While the outer layers of the installation feature lighter and more dynamic draperies, they become denser and calmer as one approaches the center. Thus, the visitor's movement within the space transcends mere physical circulation, transforming into an inward journey.
Although Yakîn is a temporary architectural intervention in a public space, it focuses more on experience and awareness than on physical form. Instead of presenting the space as an object, it opens up a space for the visitor to redefine it through their own existence. In this respect, like other projects under the theme of "Praise of Transience," it addresses architecture not only through the relationship with the built environment but also through the relationship that humans establish with themselves.
Project Details
Design Team: YAKIN Collective, Dr. Nil Aynalı, Furkan Türkyılmaz, Muhammed Arif Aksu
Contributors: Ahmet Selim Avsallı, Bennu Yorulmaz, Ceren Gül, Melda Köse, Melek Nur Öztürk, Mustafa Burak Yırıkoğulları
Location: Topkapi Palace
Oblique Land
Located on the Kabataş High School campus overlooking the Bosphorus , Oblique Land treats the ground not merely as a passive surface to walk on, but as an active architectural element that shapes the experience. Designed by Alper Derinboğaz and Salon Architects , the installation redefines the relationship between visitors and the space by proposing a sloping surface between the stairs and the platform.
The most striking aspect of the structure is that it takes the user beyond conventional modes of movement. Walking, sitting, or standing on the inclined surface requires the body to constantly maintain balance. Thus, the visitor is no longer merely someone looking at the view, but directly experiences the physical conditions of the space they are in.
The installation also references the topography of Istanbul. The slopes overlooking the Bosphorus and the city's sloping terrain are transformed into an abstract spatial experience within this structure. As the ground rises and falls, it allows visitors to view both the city and the surrounding landscape from different perspectives.
Oblique Land is not just an observation point; it also functions as a flexible public space that can be used to sit, meet, spend time, and experience the view. In this respect, the project is a temporary intervention that redefines the relationship between people, the city, and the landscape.
Project Details
Designer: Alper Derinboğaz & Salon Architects
Team: Rumeysa Karacuha, Ece Akbay, Selen Tüzün, Belinay Parmak
Location: Kabataş High School, Bosphorus
Wall / Tribune / Gate
Located in Sultanahmet Square, on the entrance axis of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Wall / Tribune / Gate is designed as a temporary installation that connects Istanbul's multifaceted history with contemporary public life. The project, by Ali Derya Dostoğlu and Uğur Özer , draws inspiration from the historical memory of its location and explores how architecture can be a tool for connecting with the past.
The installation's starting point is the Hippodrome, one of the city's most important public spaces during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The design specifically references the grandstand sections (sphendone) of the Hippodrome, which are now largely underground. The proportions and structure of the building have been shaped by archaeological data from the area. Thus, the project integrates the historical context directly into the design, rather than merely using it as a source of inspiration.
The installation invites visitors to experience the surrounding architecture from a different perspective by slightly elevating them from the ground. The perception of the Ibrahim Pasha Palace facade and the historical buildings around Sultanahmet is particularly altered by this new vantage point. This simple intervention aims to recreate the scale and public character that the Hippodrome once possessed.
The void at the center of the structure creates both a visual and spatial threshold. Aligned with the museum's exit axis, this opening evokes the entrances and exits of ancient arenas, while also serving as a passageway framing the movement of visitors. Therefore, the project brings together the concepts of wall, grandstand, and door within the same structure.
Wall / Tribune / Gate, despite being a lightweight and temporary structure, offers a powerful urban reading. While creating a space for sitting, meeting, and observing the surroundings, it also makes visible the often overlooked historical layers of Istanbul.
Project Details
Designers: Ali Derya Dostoğlu & Uğur Özer
Team: Berrin Sezer, Samet Şahin, Uğur Sağlam, Mithat Bora Bulut, Tayfur Somer Design Workshop
Structural Engineering Consulting: Structural Engineering Consulting
Location: Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul
Pavilion of the Moment
Located within the Topkapi Palace complex , the Pavilion of the Moment is a public installation that questions the idea of permanence in architecture and places transience at the heart of its design. Designed by Waugh Thistleton Architects in collaboration with the National Wood Association , TORID , and People Places Ideas , the project treats wood not merely as a building material, but also as a tool relating to time, rhythm, and transformation.
The pavilion is constructed using the rhythmic repetition of thin-sectioned Turkish black pine (Pinus Nigra) elements. These repetitions evoke the relationship between transience and continuity in traditional patterns, while confronting the visitor with constantly changing light and shadow experiences. The geometry of the structure is inspired not by the nearby Hagia Sophia, but by the more modest but extremely powerful Hagia Irene Church . The geometric relationship between the cube and the sphere is abstracted, transforming it into an introspective and serene spatial arrangement.
Unlike the monumental structures surrounding it, the Pavilion of the Moment does not seek to leave a lasting mark. With its lightweight, demountable, and reassemblable structure, it reminds us that architecture can also be temporary. In this respect, the project stands out as one of the most direct interpretations of the "Praise of Transience" theme.
The pavilion also draws attention to the role of sustainable materials in contemporary architecture. Designed by Waugh Thistleton Architects, one of the world's leading timber architecture firms, the structure points to the role that renewable and low-carbon footprint wood can play in the architecture of the future. Thus, the pavilion not only offers a spatial experience but also presents a proposal for more sustainable building production methods.
Project Details
Design: Waugh Thistleton Architects
Collaboration: National Wood Association, TORID, People Places Ideas
Location: Topkapi Palace Complex, Istanbul
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