Contributions of Art in Public Space to the Riverside Urbanity: Amasya Examplar

Abstract

Amasya is a multilayered city with the Yeşilırmak river flowing through and historical Yalıboyu houses on the riverbank in the city center. This area has been the object of attempts to transform it into a tourist attraction. The Yalıboyu Promenade, which was built by filling the area between the Yalıboyu houses and the Mağdenüs Bridge and the Taş Bridge in the south of Yeşilırmak, started to become a public space on which art began to take place after the 2000s. How the art performed in the riverside area affects the urban design is the departure point of this study. The research question is whether the public artwork along the riverbank promenade contributes to the urban image. The aim is to investigate the artwork on the bank and discuss their relationships to the city. The methodology consists of one phase is about the urban reading method of Lynch, the positions of the artwork as focal points have been discussed. Findings show that in the existence of a historical texture, art fails to have the aspired effect. What fits better the future projection is to implement aesthetic public art to revive new urban areas designed in the public areas of the city for the different focal points.