beylikdüzü valley competition proposal by melike altınışık & elif erdine
all visuals courtesy of melike altınışık, elif erdine
the municipality of beylikdüzü — an outlying district of istanbul, turkey — held a national competition to receive proposals for the rehabilitation and design of the recreational valley located in the area. the designated zone, aside from the valley itself, contains a north-south running canal, and two bridges; one for pedestrians, the other for vehicles.
recreational valley and bridges
the lack of green space in the city, caused by high population density and constant migration, has been a constant issue for decades. however, beylikdüzü, located on the western side of istanbul, is highly capable of offering such an area. future plans for the urban area include the building of several higher education facilities, and will join the already important TUYAP convention and congress center located on the northwest corner of the site.
pedestrian bridge
melike altınışık architects, in collaboration with architect elif erdine, emphasizes the site’s strong points in their competition proposal. their concept, the ‘istanbul urban park’, is a holistic vision that generates green space, sports and cultural facilities, alongside defined pedestrian, cycling, and vehicle routes.
valley
an emphasis is placed upon natural life and ecologies throughout the entirety of the proposed. as such, sports functions and their related facilities, amphitheaters for arts/cultural activities, and an open-air cinema are distributed throughout the valley in areas naturally permitted by topography. focal areas are connected to each other via various circulation routes — both pedestrian and cyclist — which are characterized by a unified, fluid design approach.
winter day
in addition to the valley, the design team created an updated version of both existing bridges. like included proposal features, both crossings are governed by a singular design approach that mirrors the fluid dynamics of the valley.
vehicle bridge
aerial night view
general diagrams
siteplan
landscape system details
detail sections
bridge sections
project info:
project name: beylikdüzü recreational valley & bridges
client: beylikdüzü municipality
location: istanbul, turkey
type: competition
status: 3rd place, honorable mention
year: 2015
size: 170.000m²
architects: melike altınışık architects, elif erdine
design: melike altınışık, elif erdine
project team: demet cekic, irem coşkun, ali uçar
landscape architect: nursen gümüşsoy
structure consultant: uğur seymen
urban planner: atılım yılmaz
consultants: gül ertekin, melih altınışık
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edited by: nick brink | designboom
Dec 16, 2025
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