VISUAL IMPACT ANALYSIS IN URBAN MORPHOLOGY: THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN HORN, ISTANBUL

Abstract

This research seeks to find scenic attributes of the Historical Peninsula within its environment. By morphological understanding of its structure and space, the study will help to increase recognition for urban plazas and pedestrians with the management of visual impacts. It is a fact that Istanbul has been hosting some of the world’s historically significant structures and predominantly, they located in the Historical Peninsula. The Historical Peninsula was the former capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires therefore in present day it carries the culture and historical assets that overlapped on top of each other. The Bosphorus and the hilly topography of Istanbul together serve as a strong bounding element between the historical assets and it creates broad prospect among them. Those views carry a potential to capture and decode the spatial configurations and reveal the embedded patterns within the urban form. This paper will be an empirical study to designate the views from Ayvansaray district which is located on the sixth hill of the historical peninsula, along with the Golden Horn. Designated views seek for building defined corridors and plazas referencing the viewing point and landmark connections. These connections will be supported by enhanced public and pedestrian accessibility. The purpose is to strengthen the strategic views by highlighting Historical City Walls, revealing embedded patterns and designate corridors among them to clarify visual integrity and ease the management of visual impacts. Benefiting from the silhouette of the Historical Peninsula and protecting it, carries significant importance therefore seek to deeper understand the city structure. To be able to accomplish the purpose, the study firstly will fallow a method to understand and protect the characteristics in the historical background and designate plazas considering foreground, middle ground and background of the views. These provided inputs will be integrated with each other regarding to physical and visual aspects; in a manner of historically important structures, urban plazas and linear, panoramic views along with the Golden Horn prospect. Therefore, visual impact analysis will act as a supporter instrument.