Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis

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Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis

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  • Project Name: Memoir: After the Neoliberal Flood
  • Student Name: Ceylin Çelimli, Ece Engin
  • Softwares/Plugins: SketchUp , AutoCAD , Procreate , Adobe Illustrator , Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Indesign
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Excerpt: ‘Memoir: After the Neoliberal Flood’ is an architecture thesis by Ceylin Çelimli and Ece Engin from the ‘Faculty of Architecture –  Istanbul Technical University.’ The project explores urban regeneration in Perşembe Pazarı by reconstructing its fragmented urban fabric, restoring historical traces, and revitalizing trade-based public life. Through layered design strategies, it strengthens the relationship between the city and the waterfront while reviving collective memory and creating flexible public spaces for everyday use.

Introduction: The project addresses the urban transformation of Istanbul’s historic Perşembe Pazarı district. Dating back to 3000 BC, this area is characterized by city walls, trading hubs, and daily life. However, past demolitions have damaged this historical fabric. Design decisions have been made to repair this damage and rejuvenate collective memory. These decisions include repairing the trace of the city wall, redesigning the shoreline, and constructing structures that support daily life. The design decisions aim to revive collective memory and preserve the historical texture.

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Site Context

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Initial large-scale spatial strategy sketch illustrating the upper-scale urban decisions. This drawing later became the cover of the final project booklet.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Route diagram illustrating the user’s spatial experience from
Galata toward the main intervention area, highlighting key
landmarks and moments encountered along the way.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Temporal urban montage illustrating the stratified history of Galata
and Perşembe Pazarı, from early fortifications and commercial
growth to 20th-century demolitions and shoreline alterations.

This project responds directly to the layered history and present conditions of Istanbul’s Perşembe Pazarı district. The site, with origins dating back to around 3000 BC, has long been defined by its relationship to the city walls, active trade networks, and vibrant everyday urban life. Over time, however, various demolition processes have disrupted this historic fabric and weakened the spatial continuity of the area.

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Urban morphology diagram generated from historical and current
map overlays, tracing structural alignments, wall traces, and fabric
transformations within the defined intervention zone.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Large-scale planning decisions translating historical and
morphological analyses into spatial zones, public connections, and
strategic intervention nodes.

The proposal focuses on repairing and reactivating these fragmented site conditions. Key design strategies include restoring the trace of the historic city walls, reconfiguring the shoreline to strengthen its connection with the urban fabric, and introducing new structures that support the district’s daily commercial and social activities. Through these interventions, the project seeks to reconnect the site with its historical layers, revive collective memory, and reinforce the unique character of the district.

Design Process

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Final spatial proposal model demonstrating layered programmatic
interventions, archaeological exposure zones, adaptive reuse
structures, and newly defined public realms in Perşembe Pazarı.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Socio-spatial mapping of primary user groups, highlighting their
interactions, production patterns, and connections to ecological
and urban systems within the project framework.

The design process began with an analysis of the historical and urban layers of Istanbul’s Perşembe Pazarı district, an area shaped by trade, everyday life, and successive demolitions that created fragmented urban voids.

Step 1: The district’s transformation was mapped by comparing key historical maps—Huber (1895), Goad (1904), Schneider (1944), and Suat Nirven (1949)—to identify references for the city-wall trace, shoreline, and built fabric.

Step 2: A central question was defined: how can the “void after the neoliberal flood” be reconstructed through collective memory and everyday life?

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Model documentation demonstrating the spatial layering of
archaeological exposure, structural grid systems, public open
spaces, and contemporary architectural insertions along the
shoreline.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Detailed physical model illustrating the excavation strategy for
uncovering wall traces, integrating protective framing systems and
lightweight architectural structures to enable public engagement
with the archaeological layers.

Step 3: Three spatial strategies were developed: (i) repairing the city-wall trace and distinguishing inside and outside urban fabrics through restoration of the trade tissue, (ii) rethinking the shoreline and redistributing piers to strengthen the city–water relationship and reduce congestion, and (iii) proposing an excavation zone that integrates existing wall remains to address the rupture caused by the metro bridge.

Step 4: Supporting programs—including a hub, visitor center, and modular open-space structures for market scenarios—were introduced to maintain pedestrian continuity and activate daily use.

Final Outcome

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Urban-scale axonometric drawing demonstrating the spatial integration of excavation zones, adaptive reuse structures, market areas, visitor facilities, and public waterfront spaces within the dense fabric of Perşembe Pazarı.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Strategic master plan demonstrating the integration of excavation corridors, market spaces, hub structures, han district connections, and reactivated waterfront edges within the dense urban fabric.
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Socio-spatial scenario diagram demonstrating the coexistence of production, restoration, public gathering, play areas, and waterfront activation within Perşembe Pazarı.

The final outcome of the project proposes a layered urban reconstruction strategy for Perşembe Pazarı, transforming fragmented voids into a continuous public landscape. The design restores the historical wall trace as a spatial and narrative spine, distinguishing interior and exterior urban fabrics while reactivating the trade-based identity of the district.

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
The pier, Hub, Visitor Center, and Marketplace – Plan and Sections
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
The pier, Hub, Visitor Center, and Marketplace – Plan and Sections
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Visitor Center Design

An integrated excavation zone incorporates the existing wall remains, transforming archaeological memory into an accessible public experience. The shoreline is redefined through distributed piers and pedestrian continuity, strengthening the relationship between the city and the water while reducing congestion.

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Visitor Center Design
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Visitor Center Design
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
The pier, Hub, and Square Design

Programmatically, the proposal introduces a hub, a visitor center, and modular open structures that support market scenarios, workshops, and collective gatherings. These elements operate as light interventions within the existing tissue, allowing flexibility and adaptability over time.

Conclusion: The project ultimately reconstructs memory not as a static monument, but as an active urban condition shaped by everyday life, trade, and collective participation.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

Site Context

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis

Design Process

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis

Final Outcome

Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis
Memoir — After the Neoliberal Flood: Reconstructing Urban Memory Along Istanbul’s Historic Waterfront | Bachelors Design Thesis

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