← Case studies

Istanbul, Türkiye

The lone shrine

Planned Istanbul Est. cost ₺18,400
Before After
Istanbul, Türkiye — est. cost ₺18,400

A small roadside shrine, marooned in traffic and fenced off, given back its dignity with a slender canopy and a planting ring.

Thousands pass this shrine every day and step around it. The plan does not move it or hide it. It frames it: a light canopy for shade, a low planting ring to hold a quiet edge, and a small level standing space so a person can stop without standing in the road.

The problem

Right now the shrine sits behind a chain rail on a traffic island. It is treated as an obstacle, not a place, so people cannot reach it safely and it collects litter rather than care.

The intervention

A slender steel and timber canopy for shade, a circular planting ring that defines the space and softens the concrete, and a small paved standing area set back from the carriageway.

Who it serves

Older residents who stop to pay respects, neighbours who treat it as a landmark, and every commuter who reads a cared-for corner as a sign that the street is looked after.

Social impact

Dignity over erasure. The intervention keeps a piece of local memory in place and makes it safe to approach, turning a fenced-off obstacle into a calm pause in the traffic.

How we would measure it

Count people who stop within a week, before and after. Photograph litter levels. Ask ten neighbours whether the corner feels more cared for.

What it costs

An honest, itemised estimate — not a quote. Change a quantity to see how the total moves; the unit prices are our working figures.

ItemQtyUnitUnit costSubtotal
Steel and timber canopy structure ₺7,800 ₺7,800
Circular planting ring and soil ring ₺3,200 ₺3,200
Plants and ground cover set ₺1,600 ₺1,600
Paving and levelling m2 ₺350 ₺4,200
Labour and install job ₺1,600 ₺1,600
Estimated total₺18,400

Have a corner like this?

We bring small, honest, buildable interventions to the places a city forgot.

Work with us