The “Living Landscape” project is conceived as a powerful ecological manifesto and a dynamic urban center that will provide a breath of fresh air to the city against the backdrop of Kayseri’s densely concreted Cumhuriyet Square. Instead of imposing an artificial topography, the design, shaped on the entirely flat ground structure of the existing square, maximizes the potential for uninterrupted and unobstructed circulation offered by the flatness. The fundamental starting point of the design is to break the predominantly hard-surfaced square texture and create a fluid “green belt” between historical sites and areas with high pedestrian traffic. This belt draws urban movement directly to the center of the project with a dynamic flow. Classic, inward-looking “closed box” architectural typologies are rejected, and a transparent and permeable urban interface is developed that establishes a seamless relationship with the outdoors.

 

Due to its location in the square, the project area functions as a powerful transportation hub connecting the city’s most critical circulation networks. One of the most radical decisions in the design is the integration of the existing tram stop in the square directly into the project area. Thanks to this integration, the transportation axis; The project’s ecological green passages, thematic waiting areas, and squares are physically integrated with the tram stop. For tram users, the stop ceases to be merely a mechanical transit point and transforms into a high-quality “Third Space” experience, surrounded by shaded areas and green spaces that the square desperately needs.

 

This urban oasis, created on a flat surface, offers users diverse spatial experiences thanks to the fluid transitions between the designed lower and upper levels, while creating shaded and breathable areas protected from the harsh effects of the continental climate. As a result, the structure transcends being a static transportation structure or shell, becoming a living urban landscape organism that blends transportation with nature and is directly integrated into city life.