Unforgotten

Unforgotten was created to question how architecture can protect memory in a city that changes too fast. Located in Ataköy, Bakırköy, Istanbul, the project focuses on the historic Baruthane site, a place shaped by old gunpowder factories, historical walls, bathhouse remains, and the Baruthane Pavilion. Although Bakırköy is one of Istanbul’s oldest settlements, many of these traces have become hidden behind unplanned urban growth and rising buildings. The project proposes a tourism vocational high school, training hotel, and historical park. Instead of designing the school as a closed educational campus, Unforgotten connects learning with public life, landscape, culture, and the waterfront. At the center of the design is a History Park. Pedestrian routes, spatial axes, open spaces, and building orientations guide people toward the historical core of the site. The new buildings are shaped by the scale, silhouettes, and character of the existing heritage structures, creating a respectful dialogue between old and new. At its core, Unforgotten transforms a forgotten heritage site into a living public place where people can learn, walk, gather, and reconnect with the memory of the city.