Shopping is an action that is never non-existant but constantly in flux – reidentifying and reshaping itself. In recent history, we can observe that it periodically changes form. These forms gain prominence for periods of time and then replaced. A French invention – arcades was the prominent form for 150 years, the department stores with escalators for 100 years, and lastly, Suburbia type – Big Box – Malls for 50 years. All these models, albeit in a limited manner, were tried in Turkey. Even though, there never were an actual suburbia in Turkey, malls were tried to be implemented in the empty lots outside and inside the city. All these ongoing constructions do not mean that the impending crises regarding these malls will not affect Turkey. Since 2007, only one shopping mall was built and hundreds of others were shut down in the USA where this typology actually originated from. Shopping’s apparent need to redefine itself today and its possible scenarios in İstanbul are the focus of this studio. The new shopping notions’ success depends on its compatibility with city’s own structure, habits, transformations, geography and climate. With this perspective, the studio discussions spanned from neighborhood markets to urban transformations, from collapsing malls to new transportation infrastructures and gated communities, and through these discussions new ideas that would create a synergy between İstanbul and shopping emerged.

* Text translated from from Mehmet Kütükçüoğlu, İstanbul Projeleri, Atlas Dergisi, 2013