While incorporating itself into one the of the most culturally historical but underused streets in the Odunpazarı district in the heart of Eskişehir, the Hamamyolu Urban Deck provides a fresh and inviting perspective in the revitalization of an existing passageway of an existing urban fabric.
This 'green pedestrian axis' which is composed of natural wood elements, lush green landscape elements, water features, and seating areas create a modern and vibrant meeting space that promotes movement from the Odunpazarı Square to the Porsuk River and vice versa.
With its undulating plan, the urban deck not only moves visitors horizontally through the existing cityscape, but also creates vertical movement with various overpasses, underpasses, ramps, and sunken gardens. Thus providing a different perspective in the experience of the urban fabric of a city.
The Hamamyolu Urban Deck is divided in to nine zones, each based on a specific theme that finds its influence in the existing historical and social context of the site.
In the first zone, titled 'Alaaddin Park,' the visitor moves toward an existing metal archway that contains a historical exhibition and slowly ascends up along the sides through a split overpass that later joins together.
The second zone, titled 'Glass Works,' continues with the overpass that leads to an enclosed space underneath where glass artwork and objects are displayed. Odunpazarı is known for its international glasswork festivals.
Zone three, or the 'Pigeon Feeding Zone' contains slightly elevated and landscaped platforms that contain rentable spaces. This area is an exciting venue for children to play and feed the pigeons and other birds that gather here.
Near the pigeon feeding zone, the fourth zone, 'Relaxation Zone,' sinks approximately 1.35 meters and contains a grouping of cafes and seating areas for people to meet and mingle. An interesting detail can be seen in the cafe roofs which are stepped allowing for the roofs to be occupied and be used as additional seating areas.
Zone five, the 'Ziya Paşa Street Overpass' brings visitors back up into the air providing a different view of the city. On the overpass is an enclosed space to be used by the neighboring local schools for events and exhibitions. Underneath the overpass, there are the office of the district leader, cafes, and restrooms. This zone also incorporates way-finding elements in the platform to direct people into the existing historical passageways of the city that contain wood-workers, metal-workers, glass-workers and other local handicraftsmen and the shops.
The 'Children's Zone,' or zone six contains a large kids play area, a cafeteria, pools and facilities to change and care for babies. With its functional and practical characteristics, this zone provides a safe area for children to play outdoors promoting exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
With lots of water elements and an abundance of existing trees to sit under, zone seven of the 'Peaceful Zone' provides an escape from the bustling noise of the city elements.
Continuing to zone eight of the 'Warm Zone' the water elements in this zone are composed of small steam pools that reference the many 'hamams' or historical Turkish Baths that are found in this area, turning this zone into a completely different experience while retaining its local context.
Finally, leading up to the Porsuk River, zone nine, or the 'Ivy Forest' moves the visitor through an underpass that is covered by hanging ivy, again providing a different type of experience within the dense urban fabric.
Connecting all of these zones is a continuous slender water element that represents the previously flowing Akar stream that leads visitors from one end of the urban deck to the other.
With its many architectural and landscape elements, the Hamamyolu Urban Deck breathes new life into an otherwise forgotten street in the Odunpazarı District of Eskişehir, Turkey by creating a new urban green belt.
