The Valens Archway, an aqueduct in Istanbul built at the end of the 4th century by the Roman Emperor Valens, provided the city with water during the middle century. Today, however, the remaining section of the archway is nothing more than a forgotten landmark in the busy and historic Istanbul district of Fatih.
But it may not be forgotten for long, as Superspace, a Turkish architecture studio, has plans to transform the over 3000-foot-long structure into a recreational and residential space.
According to designboom.com, the proposal suggests building a vertical wooden grid above the archways that would serve as a linear underlay for wooden housing modules suspended above the walkway. Each volume of wooden housing units would be clad in a heat-treated wooden façade. The wood houses and the old stonework of the aqueduct would create a dichotomy of old and new, hard and soft, and heavy and light, the architects say.
The goal of the project is to generate “an alternate elevated life, keeping tabs on the city, instead of just being watched,” Superspace writes of the project on the studio’s website.
Rendering courtesy of Superspace.
Rendering courtesy of Superspace.
Rendering courtesy of Superspace.
Rendering courtesy of Superspace.
Related Stories
| Oct 14, 2014
Richard Meier unveils design for his first tower in Taiwan
Taiwan will soon have its first Richard Meier building, a 535-foot apartment tower in Taichung City, the country’s third-largest city.
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Oct 7, 2014
Analysis: Student loans will cost housing industry $83 billion in 2014
More than 410,000 single- and multifamily home sales will be lost in 2014 due to student loan debt, according to analysis by John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
| Oct 7, 2014
Economic gains are rallying rents in Raleigh, N.C.
The greater Raleigh, N.C., market appears to be getting back on its feet again, which is good news for rental property owners.
| Oct 3, 2014
Herzog & de Meuron unveil design for Manhattan hotel-condo tower [slideshow]
Herzog & de Meuron will partner with interior designer John Pawson to design a 28-story tower for Manhattan's Bowery district. The majority of the building will house a 370-room hotel, with 11 luxury residences on its top.
| Sep 25, 2014
Look to history warily when gauging where the construction industry may be headed
Precedents and patterns may not tell you all that much about future spending or demand.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 15, 2014
Ranked: Top international AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of U.S.-based design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
