Design Process of a Memorial Square to Thank and Respect for Healthcare Workers after Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Open and green spaces are essential elements of cities. With the COVID epidemic, the importance of the need for open and green spaces in urban areas has become more understood. The aim of this study is to create a new and contemporary square in the working area where the current use and traffic create chaos, to add a new square to the open and green areas in Ankara (Turkey) and to create a connection between this area and the existing open and green areas. At the same time, health workers are honoured through a memorial area integrated into the square. The importance of the location chosen as the study area is that it is surrounded by many public health facilities and is a point of intersection of Ankara's existing open green space systems. Throughout the three-stage design process, brainstorming sessions were held, drawings and sketches were made, and urban analyses were carried out on transport, culture, art, education, health, open and green spaces. Solutions were proposed for both indoor and outdoor spaces, and the forms were transformed into functional design elements and reflected in the space. As a result, after the pandemic, a city square has been created where people can socialise again, with a monument, a square, water surfaces, an amphitheatre, viewing terraces, a market area, a bridge, sitting and walking areas that are appropriate to the capital.