Supra-Structure

The evolution into “Design in Crises” has been set with all of the objective and cultural layers of society being standardized and the increasing consumption habits that it has brought.

Supporting this situation, George Ritzer named the combination of increasingly standardized objects and spaces in everyday life as "the McDonaldization of society". Society is now filled with repetitive McSchools, McHospitals and McArchitects designed with optimum dimensions and functions. The issue of standardization of consumption has been discussed many times in academic circles, but the points of discussion have always been based on reducing consumption or ignoring its effects.

Contrary to this common "consumption reduction" approach in design, the “Supra-Structure” project aims to identify the "things" that standardize our lives and to look at the city anew by accepting the inevitability of being exposed to them. Rather than cutting down on consumption, the project aims to lessen the effects of this consumption on the city.

Consumption relations that change at an unimaginable speed and the supply chain that it brings with it does not only change how products are sold, but also transforms our social relations. It does this with motorcycle couriers and the new supplier-consumer relations it has established. As it has been stated, the increasing number of motorbikes and the problems that has arised with this, shopping sites that are being used more and more every day, have been seen as issues that need to be discussed within the context of 21st century consumption relations.

The main objective of the project was to go through a major overhaul on the usage of space, ongoing material flows and consumption networks and to discuss the city of the future over these talking points.

Along with the "Supra-Structure", which establishes a network at the roof level, a new delivery system to transport water, food, waste, electricity, cargo and laundry is born. Storage and distribution centers are also recommended to meet demands when necessary. With the Supra-structure, many new possibilities have emerged in the city. For example, streets may become more pedestrian-friendly with reduced traffic density. Markets that are also no longer needed may be transformed into public spaces surrounding the streets.