Interpreting Urban Open Spaces As An Art Object: Trabzon Pazarkapi Environmental Design Projects

Art begins with perception and transforms into a space setup. We sense space not to the extent that we see, but as far as we perceive it. The relationship of art with space can exhibit multi-layered and variable results. The void in the space gets through different processes until it is limited and defined by the work of art. The space turns into a "place" through the existence of a work of art in a space. When the field of experience is combined with art, it is qualified as a "place" rather than a void. Transforming urban open spaces into “places†should be one of the primary purpose of designers, and its relationship with art should also be addressed during this process. The urban open space design process can be examined in different manners in terms of the relationship between landscape and art. Different uses of open spaces and differentiating art concepts are some of these perspectives. The most current one among these different perspectives is the phenomenon of 'space as an art object'. It is aimed to reveal the designer’s part in establishing the relationship of art with urban open spaces, in this study. The process of the Environmental Design Project Class 6 provided by the Department of Landscape Architecture at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) and students’ design of Pazarkapı performed during the said process were examined in terms of art. As a result, it was determined that the environmental design projects examined considered open spaces as art objects and designed original covering elements, water elements, amphi theaters, flooring and furnitures as art objects in accordance with the concepts they determined.