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Entry to the
“Celebration of Cities” Competition “Mardin
in the Network”: ARCHITECTURE of a NERVE SYSTEM
The project proposes an
action plan for the revitalisation of Mardin, a historical hillside town in
South-Eastern Turkey. The intentions to place Mardin within the network
of libraries in the Mediterranean Basin is furthered by a set of
planning and design ideas toward the institution and realisation of a “sensory
nerve system” that will enhance the daily life of citizens and contribute
for the promotion of Mardin.
Located at the crossroads of the upper Mesopotamia, Mardin is renowned for
its sustained cultural heritage. Despite the damage of migrations and deficient
building practices, the town still boasts a multi-cultural community
and a rich urban fabric. Declared among national sites of
Anatolia, Mardin was candidate for inscription as World Cultural Heritage
Site by UNESCO. Its candidacy is recently withdrawn however, upon
the initial expert report inquiring precautions for the preservation of the
town. The citizens of Mardin, greatly disappointed with this withdrawal, are
in search of operational ideas for their town’s upgrading. Mardin claims two treasures of global value: i) the diversity of its religious and ethnic sub-communities; ii) the merging of this diversity in a compact urban form, as if carved out of stone. The town belongs to a region holding also the heritage of first universities that started as translation schools, to which we owe the transmission of the classical Greek philosophy and Christology. It is this spirit of enlightenment that the proposed network will address itself, making architecture its visible complement. The network will start a chain of activities for the citizens of Mardin, who will benefit from new civic places, facilities and modes of interaction with the world. The increasing interest in faith tourism and the emerging research and restoration projects have already attracted a flow of visitors, scholars and development experts. Now that the strained environment of South Eastern Anatolia is recovering, it is time for a careful repairing of the town, if Mardin is to achieve its global aspirations. Planning and Design Decisions: The Network is consists of the following ‘knots’ at different scales:
Research and
design assistance: Consultants: Photographic
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