International Summer School
The Great Game
Istanbul Workshop
A joint initiative of Politecnico di Torino, AURA Istanbul, and UBT College Kosovo — bringing graduate students in architecture together to apply a proven pedagogical experiment to the urban transformation of Kartal, Istanbul.
01 — Purpose
Why this workshop
Conceived as a low-risk, high-impact platform, the Summer School integrates international visibility, strategic foresight, and professional skill development within a live urban context. By applying The Great Game — a pedagogical design experiment developed at Politecnico di Torino — to active urban transformation processes in Kartal, the workshop aims to generate viable design scenarios grounded in regulatory, economic, and governance realities.
The initiative brings together academic institutions, local authorities, professional practitioners, and emerging designers in an intensive environment where development scenarios, stakeholder configurations, and sustainability-driven approaches can be tested before implementation.
02 — Pedagogical logic
The Great Game
Architects navigate a delicate balance between the specificity of their profession and negotiation with diverse stakeholders — from politicians to citizens' associations. While studios often glorify the architect as individual creator, professionals know that even the best ideas must be legitimised through ongoing interaction with the actors who shape space.
The Great Game addresses this gap directly: participants define viable strategies and align the right actors to execute them, learning how concepts are socialised into political and practical reality. The site functions as a gameboard — a bounded urban field where competing interests, incomplete information, and shifting alliances define the conditions of play.
Potential actor teams in Kartal
District Municipality
Local governance and territorial planning perspectives.
Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation & Climate Change
National regulatory and policy frameworks.
Construction contractor
Large-scale development and delivery logics.
Civic / community collective
Grassroots advocacy and local collectivity.
Ecology-oriented practice
Environmental and sustainability-driven design.
Large architectural firm
Professional practice at metropolitan scale.
Infrastructure & transport
Mobility systems and territorial connectivity.
Metropolitan Municipality
City-wide strategic and institutional positioning.
03 — Collaborators & supporters
Institutional partners
Italy
Politecnico di Torino
Department of Architecture and Design (DAD) — education, research, and knowledge transfer across architecture, urban design, and sustainability.
Turkey
AURA Istanbul
Academy of Architecture and Urban Research — interdisciplinary collaboration on Istanbul's urban transformation through research, certificate programmes, and design initiatives.
Turkey
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University
Faculty of Architecture — architectural education, urban design, and city planning since 1882, engaging contemporary challenges in Istanbul and Turkey.
Kosovo
UBT College Kosovo
Higher education in architecture, urban planning, and design with emphasis on applied research, sustainability, and international collaboration.
Supporters
Host institution
Kartal Municipality
Under Mayor Gökhan Yüksel, providing accommodation, local transportation, studio workspace, technical support, and institutional engagement for the on-site programme.
Diplomatic support
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Rome
Together with the Consulate General of Milan — advancing cultural, academic, and institutional relations between Turkey and Italy, supporting educational exchange and international collaboration.
04 — Structure & calendar
Programme timeline
Preparatory phases
-
15 June – 15 July 2026
Open call for applications
Graduate and master's students at partner institutions. Circulated through official channels and workshop communications.
-
15 July – 25 July 2026
Selection & logistics
Review by academic coordinators; results communicated; travel arrangements initiated.
-
25 – 27 August 2026
Online preparatory seminars (4 sessions)
Introduction to The Great Game; Istanbul at macro scale; critical perspectives on practice; site-specific focus and team assignments.
On-site workshop · Istanbul
Student distribution: 7 students from Politecnico di Torino, 7 from Istanbul-based institutions, and 7 from UBT College Kosovo — ensuring a balanced international exchange. Selection is competitive, based on portfolio, CV, and motivation letter.
05 — Teaching team
Faculty & coordinators
Nine faculty members (three per partner institution) accompany and tutor
student groups throughout the workshop. Add photos to
images/team/ matching filenames in
data/team.json.
06 — Participants
Selected students
Profiles of the 21 participating graduate students will be published
after selection. Edit data/students.json
to add name, institution, photo, and bio for each participant.
07 — Outputs
Student projects
Design proposals, strategic dossiers, and exhibition materials from the
workshop will be displayed here. Add entries to
data/projects.json.
08 — Application
How to apply
Candidates apply through a single digital submission to the workshop coordination. Open to graduate and master's students at partner institutions.
- Portfolio — Academic and design work (PDF, max 10 MB)
- Motivation letter — One A4 page on your interest and expected contribution
- Student certificate — Official proof of current enrolment as graduate or master's student
Questions about applications, the programme, or logistics:
thegreatgame.istanbul@gmail.com
Credits: Politecnico di Torino students receive 3 CFU upon successful completion. All participants receive a joint certificate from Politecnico di Torino, AURA Istanbul, and UBT College Kosovo.