Riva Ring

ISTANBUL, TURKEY, 2008

Like the new Riva any city – must harmonize desire, context, and constraint. Physically, the site is blessed by its dramatic proximity to the Black Sea, by rolling hills, by a sinuous river, by green fields and forests, by lovely beaches, by an existing town of intimate informality, by a protected forest buffer, and by easy proximity to Istanbul.

It is, however, challenged by salt winds, by demanding topography, by the risk of becoming a mere commuter dormitory, by existing plans and infrastructures, and by a pattern of land holdings and regulations that demand what may be a too even distribution of building across the site. Riva is no tabula rasa and our approach is shaped by a set of prior decisions we might not have made. For example, were there an effective way of consolidating and transferring development rights, it would be possible to create a much more compact city, one less challenged by low densities and sprawl. In seeking to thread our way through these challenges we have been guided by a number of key principles.

Credits: M. Aiolova, M. Joachim, M. Okazaki, M. Sorkin.