How to Build Cities for People? A Conversation Between Alper Derinboğaz and Alexis Şanal

Watch the video of their discussion from the BIG SEE Talks series or read the full transcript.

Alper Derinboğaz: Hi, Alexis. It’s great to have you and come together and have the chance to talk in depth about your practice. For many years, we have been following your inspiring work and international expertise. Playing out in İstanbul is quite an adventure for us to follow. I would like to talk about some of the recent things that excite you and that you find interesting in your practice. We know the images, the architectural spaces from Şişhane Park, Bomontiada, the restoration project, but maybe you can tell us a couple of things that we don’t know about on the surface. We know your architecture makes pretty images, but I’m sure there it goes through many interesting challenges also. So maybe talking about both the interesting sides and the challenging sides of the work, I was thinking.

Alexis Şanal: The challenging sides are quite compelling. It’s exciting to be here together to talk about the city and the practice of architecture in the context of time, especially in the context of the land where we have been practicing. Working in İstanbul is almost like no other place. Within this city, many civilizations have settled, creating a unique urban plasticity. These civilizations not only define the cities but also shape the economies, technologies, and shifting communities. It’s fascinating to work in such a multicultural environment. I have known you for many years, and it’s been a great honor to see the next generation of architects pick up important research on how we examine cities – ecologically, geologically, morphologically, and economically. I think one of the things we share is that the economics of the city really shape its form.

We have been working for a long time on bazaars and one-day markets, recently learning from places like Bomontiada and working in the Old City Center. The built environment has not just a physical scale, but an economic scale – these smaller shops encourage entrepreneurship and support entire families. This approach contrasts with the larger infrastructure projects from the 1950s that industrialized urban landscapes in cities like İstanbul. We’ve recently focused on what we call social infrastructure, addressing new public needs of the city. One of our most exciting projects is an auto park for the İstanbul Greater Municipality in the Old City, designed to address complex urban dynamics. In the old city, we encountered a diverse migrant community in the south with generations of micro-enterprises and textile businesses, alongside tourism. These groups require automobiles to service their businesses. We focused on transforming a small piece of land in the Firuzağa area, reimagining the auto park as a living public space and social infrastructure through close collaboration with the municipality. The result is fascinating: a unique contrast featuring a glass studio that preserves artisan craftsmanship, complemented by essential laundry services for local businesses. We created a vibrant public space near a beautiful mosque, where businesses naturally extend into the street after lunch.We often encounter a challenging tension in infrastructure investments. These projects are built with good intentions, but they frequently get compromised by commercial interests that are not aligned with the original intention. This creates a complex dynamic in urban development.

“I really see the city as something we live our lives in – where we fall in love, walk with friends, and wander when we’re feeling upset.”

– Alexis Şanal

Alper Derinboğaz: Perhaps it would be interesting to explore where you’re coming from. You studied at SCI-Arc and had experience in the US, where there are also complicated situations between private and public interests at the city scale. Your projects show an extremely well-articulated approach to public spaces continuing through private spaces. Do you think there are things you can borrow from your previous experiences or international research? How do these insights play out, and what do you see for the future of these combined spaces? 0:07:55 Alexis Şanal: I grew up in Los Angeles, which is essentially the opposite of İstanbul in many ways. I was fortunate to experience the city as a child, essentially left to explore on my own. From ages six to twelve, I would go around the city by bicycle and walk everywhere, despite LA not being a walkable city. This gave me an intimate understanding of urban spaces. For me, shopping malls were public interiors – I didn’t see them as purely private spaces. When I first moved to İstanbul 25 years ago, the city didn’t have shopping malls. The shopping mall concept has since taken over, essentially privatizing public streets.

İstinye Park initially served as a public space before becoming increasingly privatized. My perspective on urban spaces is shaped by childhood memories—the joy of parks, festivals, seasonal changes, and the excitement of community gatherings. Now, with experience as a parent and child of aging parents, I always approach design from a human-centered perspective. People don’t naturally perceive property lines; they experience spaces through lived experiences. Our goal is to break down these bureaucratic boundaries and create spaces that feel inclusive and interconnected. So I really see the city as something we live our lives in – where we fall in love, walk with friends, and wander when we’re feeling upset.

“The repeated patterns of daily life create a unique urban theater that is both needed and appreciated. These approaches help cities attract diverse populations back to their declining city centers by creating economic and social development opportunities.”

– Alexis Şanal

Alper Derinboğaz: What perspectives do you have on emerging spaces in cities ranging from Los Angeles to İstanbul? How do you view the development of new cities like Dubai, with their massive real estate projects? What insights can you share about the future of historic cities like İstanbul, especially considering different urban development models like those in New York?

Alexis Şanal: I struggle deeply with the widespread destruction caused by mega infrastructure projects. Having grown up in a city defined by such infrastructure, I understand how alienating they can be. These massive projects, like highways and intersections, consume land that could potentially support 300 jobs and businesses supporting numerous families.

I’ve learned from İstanbul that the city has been built on microfinance and circular economic models, which generated significant generational wealth. While this model continues, it’s not fully adapted to 21st-century needs. The rise of the middle class through shopping centers and office parks has created economic opportunities, but the approach lacks nuance. The traditional urban model—with a civic center hosting daily shopping, religious spaces, hospitals, and mixed residential areas—allowed different income groups to coexist. This approach made cities like İstanbul remarkably resilient during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike cities such as Los Angeles, Dubai, or New York. What fascinates me is the untapped potential of $5-50 million investors worldwide. These middle investors, often supported by local banks, are crucial. They’re emotionally invested in developing beautiful spaces to pass on to future generations, creating a more meaningful approach to urban development compared to large-scale, impersonal projects. You can observe this in recent İstanbul neighborhoods like Gürtepe and Güllü Bağ, where developments feel more connected and vibrant, unlike newer, alienating residential complexes that ultimately drive people back to more organic, street-oriented neighborhoods.

“These massive projects, like highways and intersections, consume land that could potentially support 300 jobs and businesses supporting numerous families.”

– Alexis Şanal

Alper Derinboğaz: You’ve been working on one-day markets and exploring propositions for urban living. How do these connect to the urban challenges you’ve been discussing?

Alexis Şanal: One of our most interesting laboratories for this approach has been Kütahya, where we’ve been working for the past decade. We’ve been exploring how civilizations occupy geography, almost becoming part of their geological landscape through their building practices and trading patterns.

Many cities attempt to relocate traditional markets, but these historic city centers—with layers of civilization from Anatolian, Phrygian, and Roman cultures to Seljuk and Republican periods—have been losing their young and market populations. They’ve built new market areas outside the city centers, yet these one-day markets remain the most vibrant element of these urban cores. We developed an exciting project that integrated parking with a large one-day market. We proposed a flexible space that could host multiple community events—wedding ceremonies, Iftar dinners, high school sports gatherings, and support micro-businesses. The most fascinating aspect was the community’s excitement about reclaiming open space. When the initial park plan was canceled, we found another similar location. This demonstrates how the repeated patterns of daily life create a unique urban theater that is both needed and appreciated. These approaches help cities attract diverse populations back to their declining city centers by creating economic and social development opportunities.

Alper Derinboğaz: Thank you for these in-depth insights. We look forward to seeing your future projects. What advice would you give to the young generation of designers and architects?

Alexis Şanal: These are challenging times globally, with significant uncertainty. Each generation must embrace its role in urban development. When we first moved to İstanbul, there were only four or five architectural practices. Now, there are 30-40 practices, with an exciting diversity of ages. I’m optimistic about mentorship opportunities. The previous generation built cultural centers and transformed design’s role in contemporary life. When I arrived, İstanbul had no performing arts centers. Now, it has exceptional venues. My key advice to the next generation is to work more collegially. Your peers are not competitors, but colleagues. We must co-create, support each other, advocate for one another, and celebrate our collective accomplishments.

Alper Derinboğaz: I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for the great advice. Looking forward to your future accomplishments. Thank you for your time.

“Your peers are not competitors, but colleagues. We must co-create, support each other, advocate for one another, and celebrate our collective accomplishments.”

– Alexis Şanal