The Collective Transformation Project of Kalamıs Park

The Collective Transformation Project of Kalamıs Park, which is located in Kalamıs Atatürk Park in Kadıköy/Istanbul and spread over an area of approximately 3,400 square meters, has realized with the cooperation of Nike, Repairers Club, and Kadıköy Municipality.

Parks' playing an essential role in forming urban identity, providing a place for people to socialize, and also their impacts on urban macroform were some of the factors that were considered effective enough for deciding where to locate the project. The primary objective of the project was specified as increasing the functionality of Kalamıs Park and thus enabling people to perform various activities comfortably with each other.

The project, whose design process started with a comprehensive analysis for user needs, focuses on the improvement of the skatepark, basketball court, beach volleyball court, running track, and the surrounding landscape areas. The design program was created by listening to the problems and needs of park users and athletes who were invited by the open call method. Accordingly, the skatepark's floor has been improved to reduce potential injuries and to increase the performance of the athlete; existing barriers, ramps have been repaired and their locations have been adjusted to allow continuous movement route. Through the newly added ramps, the skate park enabled athletes of different levels to coexist.

The graphic design on the renewed floor was created from colors and forms that present movement, production, repairing, sharing.

"Nobody Can Stop Us" is Nike's motto that emphasizes the power of movement. It was laid on the wires with pixel work technique using plexiglass. Part of the motto and Nike's swoosh were woven by Fırat Neziroglu and his team.

Apart from the repairs and maintenances that have been done, a comprehensive recreation area was designed to increase the use of the park aside from sports activities. The "community area" which is parallel to the skatepark and spread over 43 meters, has a bicycle park, skateboard repairing desk, lockers, recycling bins, picnic tables, and observing/resting/working areas located at different elevations. This wheelbase difference also acts as a barrier to prevent pedestrian entry to the skatepark. 

Around the basketball court, there are table tennis courts, benches, hammocks called "sky hammocks" where people can watch the sea and the sunset.

One of the important qualifications of The Collective Transformation Project of Kalamıs Park is using Nike Grind on the surface of the basketball court and running track. The same material was also used on the surfaces of the furniture. Rubber-based Nike grind is obtained by recycling the wastes caused by the production and consumption of Nike products. It is one of the works that has been realized within the context of the brand's Move to Zero* movement.

Kalamis Park Collective Transformation Project

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Nike

Repairers Club

Kadikoy Municipality

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Design Team

Cemal Cobanoglu

Basak Bakkaloglu

Hope Erkin Gungor

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Floor Graphic Design

kien

Umit Senturk

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Weaving Installation 

Firat Neziroglu & Team

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begum Author

Selahattin Senkal

Elcin Yaren Cakirlar

Burcu Uydan

NIKE
Ebrar Karakurt 
File Workshop with Repairers Club

With the departure of Ebrar Karakurt Volleyball Academy, we knitted the nets together so that children in needy schools can access sports.

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With the departure of Ebrar Karakurt Volleyball Academy, we knitted the nets together so that children in needy schools can access sports. We learned how to knit volleyball nets from our old clothes together in this workshop we held with the Onaranlar Club under the direction of the artist Fırat Neziroglu, and we delivered the nets we knitted to schools in need through the SocialBen Foundation.

We didn't need any extra material in the workshop. We support children to access sports by recycling old fabrics in our house, our t-shirts and clothes that we no longer wear.