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Home S.O.S. Istanbul 2026: The Future of Harem Bus Station – Student Ideas Competition

S.O.S. Istanbul 2026: The Future of Harem Bus Station – Student Ideas Competition

Free ideas competition for undergraduate architecture and design students in Türkiye and the TRNC, organised by İstanbulSMD with the Istanbul Planning Agency: rethink the disused Harem Bus Station. Submissions close 7 December 2026; 450,000 TL in prizes.

illustrarch Editorial Team24 September 20261 Mins read265

S.O.S. Istanbul 2026: The Future of Harem Bus Station – Student Ideas Competition

Harem Bus Station, the competition site. Photograph: courtesy İstanbulSMD

Competition 23 days left

Category: Student
Organizer: İstanbulSMD (Istanbul Association of Independent Architects), supported by the Istanbul Planning Agency (İPA)
Location: Türkiye (digital submission)
Project site: Harem Bus Station, Üsküdar, Istanbul, Türkiye
Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled at universities in Türkiye and the TRNC in architecture, interior architecture, urban and regional planning, landscape architecture, industrial design and related departments at the time the competition was announced; individual or team entries.
Language: Turkish
Submission deadline: 7 December 2026
Fees: Free
Prizes: 450,000 TL total
Jury: Advisory jury: Kurtul Erkmen, Ebru Ünver Karaer, Erhan Vural, Dilgün Saklar Jury: Merve Gedik, Burcu Göksoy, Pınar Kesim Aktaş, Uğur Onur, Cihan Sev
Submission requirements: Digital submission via the competition upload form; brief and board template in the official document folder.

Prize breakdown

1st Prize: 125,000 TL
2nd Prize: 100,000 TL
3rd Prize: 75,000 TL
Honourable mentions (5): 50,000 TL each

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Brief and documents

The “S.O.S. İstanbul Ideas Competition for Architecture Students” organized by the Istanbul Association of Independent Architects (İstanbulSMD) has a final project submission deadline of December 7, 2026.

Founded in 2002, the Istanbul Association of Independent Architects (İstanbulSMD) aims to contribute to the architectural culture of Turkey and enhance the quality of the built environment. Since 2005, it has been encouraging students to develop alternative projects for problematic, neglected, or transformation-potential areas in Istanbul through the “S.O.S. İstanbul Architecture Students Open Idea Project Competition.”

This year, with the support of the Istanbul Planning Agency, İPA, the competition is themed “The Future of Harem Bus Station.” This event focuses on Harem Bus Station, an area that holds significant historical and public importance but has largely lost its functionality in contemporary times. The competition invites discussions on how this site can be re-evaluated by establishing a holistic relationship with public benefit, transportation links, historical context, natural thresholds, and the existing urban fabric.

The competition is open to undergraduate students at universities in Türkiye and the TRNC studying architecture, interior architecture, urban and regional planning, landscape architecture, industrial design and related fields. Participation is free and entries are submitted digitally.

Prizes

The total prize fund is 450,000 TL: 125,000 TL for first prize, 100,000 TL for second, 75,000 TL for third, and five honourable mentions of 50,000 TL each. Awards are paid net within 30 days of the results announcement.

Key dates

Competition announced: 10 September 2026
Last day for questions: 5 October 2026, 23:59
Answers published: 12 October 2026
Submission deadline: 7 December 2026, 17:00 (Istanbul time)
Colloquium and award ceremony: to be announced with the results

The brief and board template are available in the official document folder, questions go through the competition’s question form, and projects are uploaded through its submission form. The competition has been organised every two years since 2005.