Gokdere Bazaar and Recreation Area is located along Gokdere River in the Yildirim district of Bursa. The project consists of two parts: Refurbishment of the existing bazaar structure and creation of a new recreation area.

Gokdere Bazaar is an existing urban infrastructure, popular among the residents for its clothing stalls (as reflected by its name “Society Bazaar”). It is located at a critical juncture within the city, and adjacent to various public transportation options. Moreover, it is an important element of the urban silhouette, with its distinctive length and rhythmic structure.

Nevertheless, today, because of neglection and lack of maintenance, and existing steel structure’s inconvenience for the bazaar function, it became a problematic area within the city. The stallholders had to find their own solutions for protecting themselves against the wind and the rain. Plywood boards were erected along the river, causing the structure to become closed from the exterior, and making a wall-like impact on the silhouette. Moreover, new stalls were added outside the limits of the existing structure, causing the addition of various unsound structures.

Our refurbishment proposal is based on the idea of reclaiming the existing structure by adapting it to the needs of the stallholders and the shoppers. We are suggesting to add an additional series of steel columns running parallel with the existing structure. The stallholders are positioned between existing and new columns, facilitating the circulation of the shoppers in the middle. Also, the roof is lowered towards these new columns, allowing to be protected against the wind, the rain and the sun. Besides, stallholders are able to cover their backs by tying their own fabric to the hoops on the new columns. Along the edges between the upper and lower parts of the roof, we proposed horizontal windows, with polycarbonate panels. These windows both increased the daylight inside the bazaar and protected the main pedestrian circulation from the rain. Finally, we suggested to increase the heat insulation to help with the comfort of both the stallholders and the shoppers. The use of the color white helped us give the structure a feeling of lightness, while also bring forward the exhibited products.

The second part of the project consists of the creation of a new recreation area, between the bazaar structure and apartment buildings on the other side. Following the moving out of the existing repair shops, the area will be reorganized as a linear park, including pedestrian ways and activity zones. In parallel with the creation of the park, the ground levels of the apartment buildings looking towards the recreation area, are reserved for cafes, restaurants and various retail units. This way, it is aimed to produce a lively urban environment.

Finally, Gokdere Bazaar and Recreation Area is a sustainable architecture and urban design project that is based both on the adaptive reuse of an urban infrastructure and the reclaiming of an urban area for public use.