SO? architecture suspends interactive sky garden in istanbul’s ortaköy square

SO? architecture suspends interactive sky garden in istanbul’s ortaköy square
all images by yerçekim

in the center of istanbul’s bustling ortaköy square, SO? architecture and ideas has installed an interactive ‘sky garden’ for visitors to experience and enjoy. a large, geometric frame hosts a series of suspended potted plants, each wrapped in a fabric-lined vessel. the botanical species range in quality and color, creating a vibrant landscape of greenery and floral blooms overhead. adding an interactive element to the installation, the instanbul-based studio has attached a system of pulleys to each pot, allowing visitors to draw the vessels downwards for a closer look. activated by the participation of the public, ‘sky garden’ dynamically undulates and shifts in space based on the ever-changing contact with its viewers. 

sky garden // havai bahçe
video courtesy of SO?

SO? architecture and ideas‘ suspended garden provides seating for visitors to the square, and also serves as a shading canopy under which people can observe views of the adjacent bosphorus. benches positioned beneath the structural grid offer areas for locals and tourists to congregate and relax. while the ever-changing heights of the pots creates a dynamic visual effect against the landscape, the architectural installation simultaneously seeks to literally bring viewers closer to nature. 

the architectural installation is sited in the center of istanbul’s ortaköy square

locals and tourists can congregate and relax beneath the grid of the structure 

potted plants of varying quality and color hang overhead 

the plant vessels are wrapped in fabric 

pulley systems attached to each pot allow visitors to draw the pots nearer to them 

the installation is activated by visitor participation 

the ever-changing heights of the pots forms an undulating wave of plants 

the garden provides seating and shade for visitors

the potted plants form an overhead canopy

the shifting landscape of potted plants changes throughout the day

project info:

type: public installation
size: 60 sqm
location: istanbul
client: beşiktaş municipality
status: built, 2016
team: sevince bayrak, oral göktaş, sevinç yüksel, emre üngör, ana latorre martinez, hazal seval, julia tarsten, arda bakıryol, büşra ekici, laura villeret, chiara vaccaro
plantation: zeynep hagur
photography: yerçekim