Terminal Kadıköy
TERMINAL KADIKÖY
Tabanlioglu Architects
ARCHITECTS
Tabanlioglu Architects
LEAD ARCHITECT
Melkan Gürsel
INTERIOR DESIGN
Ta_tabanlioglu Architects & Autoban (7de7)
LANDSCAPE
1/1 Landscape + Architecture
ACOUSTIC DESIGN
Mezzo Engineering
INFRASTRUCTURE
Elsa
LIGHTING DESIGN
Line Ld
MECHANICAL
Okutan Engineering
STRUCTURAL
Mertebe Engineering
ELECTRICAL
Yurdakul Engineering
PROJECT TEAM
Salih Yilgörür, Can Turan, Harun Şeker, Aybike Okumuş, Serdar Makinaci, Neslişah Çakmak Kaya, Gülistan Durmaz, Onur Soner, Ozan Karpinar, Ali Riza Saçan, Ali Çalişkan, Selin Dinçer, Figen Burcu Akyüz, Cahit Eğilmez, Sare Gizem Dağdeviren, Enes Yücepur, Gonca Arik
TRAFFIC
Hartek
CLIENT
Akfen Reit
FIRE SAFETY
Etik Engineering
PHOTOGRAPHS
Murat Germen
AREA
26575 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Istanbul, Türkiye
CATEGORY
Restaurants & Bars, Transportation Hub, Retail
English description provided by the architects.
Located on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, Kadıköy is a vibrant district known for its inclusive, democratic atmosphere.
With a population of approximately 500,000, it sits directly across from the historic peninsula and has long served as one of Istanbul's key recreational and cultural hubs.
Historically, the area flourished with social life—particularly during the summer months—with Kadıköy Pier and the Haydarpaşa Railway Station connecting it to both the European side of the city and the broader Turkish rail network.
During the late Ottoman period, Kadıköy became a multicultural center, home to non-Muslim communities, Levantines, and Ottoman bureaucrats, fostering a legacy of diversity and coexistence. The wide meadows of Kadıköy gained prominence as popular venues for boat rides, picnics, and public festivals for centuries.
Unfortunately, over time, the rapid urbanization and infrastructural developments diminished the area's public character. Pollution of the nearby river and congestion from the Salı Pazarı market further reduced its recreational value during the 1990s.
Today, following several urban rehabilitation projects, Kadıköy has re-emerged as a dynamic district characterized by narrow, active streets lined with cafés, shops, and cultural venues. It enjoys high socioeconomic and educational standards and is home to more than 70 theatre groups and a range of annual festivals.
Its unique blend of residential, commercial, and cultural uses makes Kadıköy a vibrant destination for locals and visitors alike. The Fenerbahçe Stadium, in particular, transforms the area into a natural gathering point on match days, reinforcing its role as a civic node, and with its public transport network, is a vibrant hub of the city today.
PROJECT SITE
The project site lies beneath Söğütlüçeşme Railway Station, a key junction in Istanbul's transport network.
As one of the most active transfer points in the city—connecting metrobus, bus, minibus, train, and metro line—the station processes thousands of passengers daily.
Despite its importance, the area suffers from a lack of pedestrian infrastructure and public amenities, particularly during football matches when foot traffic intensifies dramatically.
Pedestrian circulation is hindered by narrow sidewalks and disconnected routes, weakening the site's relationship with nearby destinations such as Yoğurtçu Park, Moda, Kuşdili Meadow, Kadıköy Pier, and the Fenerbahçe Stadium.
The project acts as an urban acupuncture intervention—targeting and revitalizing this overlooked zone by transforming residual infrastructure into an activated public space.
The aim is to reintegrate the viaduct into the city's urban life by stitching together transport, landscape, and civic activities through a flexible and inclusive framework.
PROJECT
Terminal Kadikoy envisions the Söğütlüçeşme Railway viaduct not as a boundary, but as a spine—hosting diverse, small-scale interventions to support community life and improve connectivity.
At its core, the project promotes a sustainable, modular, and low-impact strategy for reclaiming underutilized infrastructure.
Beneath and alongside the viaduct, a modular scaffolding system hosts one- and two-story volumes adaptable to a wide variety of uses—ranging from small shops, studios, and galleries to food stalls, marketplaces, and cultural spaces.
These "boxes" are designed using industrial steel frames that allow flexibility in scale and function. Their configuration is informed by existing trees and site-specific conditions, preserving green space and enhancing microclimatic comfort.
The project hosts 19 restaurants, 27 street-food kiosks, 24 retail units, and a 2500 capacity performance art center in a total of 27000 sqm area.
The contemporary food hall, packed with artisanal gourmet delights, creates a central axis that stretches from the station toward the open-air market right under the viaduct.
Structures differing in size and height are set at the viaduct's maximum height (6.5 meters) to create a variety of spatial experiences. Between these volumes, internal walkways resembling Kadıköy's bustling street markets create vibrant social corridors.
The surrounding landscape, composed of wildflowers, endemic and native plants, and soft ground cover, introduces visual richness while supporting pedestrian and bicycle flows, segmenting the project from the heavy traffic that surrounds the site.
Urban public furniture, wayfinding, and lighting elements guide movement and invite longer stays, reintroducing the spirit of the old meadow in a contemporary language.
A new blackbox performance venue anchors the cultural dimension of the site. With a capacity of 2500 visitors (632 with retractable seats), the multipurpose hall provides space for theatre, concerts, and civic gatherings.
It is seamlessly connected to the food hall and opens directly to a green forecourt, allowing indoor-outdoor flow and supporting everyday as well as event-based usage.
The viaduct structure itself will be treated as a canvas—projecting visual arts, hosting graffiti, and reflecting the street culture of Kadıköy.
Future collaborations with local artists are planned to animate its surfaces and keep the space adaptable and evolving.
The project site is directly connected to the Fenerbahçe Stadium via an underpass, establishing a permeable and integrated relationship between the two hubs.
As the project includes the largest sports bar on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, it serves as a key gathering and meeting point for fans and sports enthusiasts alike.
IMPACT
By reclaiming a neglected but central piece of infrastructure, the project proposes a new model of urban regeneration that is low-carbon, inclusive, and deeply rooted in place.
It revives the recreational spirit that Kadıköy once lost and re-establishes public access to green, productive, and cultural spaces.
Through careful landscape integration, sustainable material choices, and participatory design processes, the project enhances Kadıköy's layered identity—making room for old rituals and new practices, spontaneous encounters and programmed events, and above all, people.
