MİMARLIK AGENDA

Priorities for Achieving Architecture in the Service of the Society: Independent and Organised Society and Architect / Kubilay Önal

The Architecture Seminar 2015, organised for understanding, evaluating and thinking through the changes since it was first organised in 1969, presented a series of discussions on the future and current position of architecture, with topics ranging from economy to urban-social life, from ecology to planning processes, cultural life to architectural education and from design to technology.

AGENDA

Eymir Lake and İmrahor Valley: A Public Space or a Commodity? / Tarık Şengül

The author points to the announcement of İmrahor Valley and its extension, Eymir Lake, being one of the significant natural thresholds and values of Ankara, opening for construction and investment. He states that this announcement was made not in line with the social demand but for the sake of attracting investments through land speculation.

Kobani 2015: TMMOB Diyarbakır İKK Report

The population of Kobani, which was approximately 34.000 four years ago, has reached to 120.000 people, after the Syrian civil war and the declaration of democratic autonomous government by the cantonal government. Following the attack of Daesh, 80 % of the building stock in the city was destroyed. A report was prepared following the technical studies organised by Diyarbakır Provincial Coordination Committee (İKK) in February 11, 2015, subjecting the destruction and pillage caused by invasion and massacre and the reconstruction process in the city.

URBANISM AND ARCHITECTURE

Architecture Seminars from 1969 to 2015 / Doğan Hasol, Güven Birkan, Arif Şentek, Akın Atauz, Zuhal Ulusoy, Bülend Tuna, Eser Yağçı, Yüksel Demir

Architecture Seminar, organised in March, by the Chamber of Architects İstanbul Metropolitan Branch, after 46 years, intended the evaluation of urbanisation policies in Turkey, not only by architects but also by experts from different disciplines with an aim to depict observations publicly, rather than seeking a solution.

HABITAT CONGRESSES

In Between the Inquiry of Participation and Reality Turkey HABİTAT III Report / Ruşen Keleş, İlhan Tekeli

The 3rd Habitat meeting, which is an organisation held in every 20 years with an aim to discuss and decide on strategies in the light of participatory processes, on urbanisation problems worldwide, will be organised in 2016. İlhan Tekeli, who had witnessed the preparation process of Turkey, when hosting the meeting in 1996, while focusing on the differences between the two meetings, points out the central organisation of the process. Ruşen Keleş states that the National Report is open to debate as it is a reflection of the country’s agenda.

EVENT

Upon Architecture of Ersen Gürsel in Architects with Sinan Award Programme / Gökçeçiçek Savaşır

Architects with Sinan Award Programme, established in 2008 by the Chamber of Architects, with an aim to collect and present the work of architect(s) with Award, to public, is presenting Ersen Gürsel for the 2014-2016 period. For the first round of the programme a panel was organised on April 18, 2015 in İstanbul. The author presents an overview of the presentations in the panel, while drawing attention to the respectful attitude of the architect towards nature and built environment.

The Architects’ Role in Today’s Cultural World: Attention! Slippery Surface / Yasemin Keskin Enginöz, Saitali Köknar

The exhibition, conducted in collaboration of VitrA and Independent Turkish Architects’ Association (TSMD) for the fourth VitrA Contemporary Architecture Series, “Attention! Slippery Surface”, draws its focus on architects and architectures that stand steady, avoid any communication, are introverted and hold firmly on a specific ground. The exhibition searched for answers to questions such as, “how do architects hold a position in today’s cultural world?”, “how can architects become part of cultural production?”, “how we can overcome and resolve this confined position pertaining architecture and architects?”

Total Share of Generated Electricity by Hydroelectric Power Plants = 5%

There has been a fervent construction activity on-going to keep the economy alive in our country. The constructions and applications of HPPs (hydroelectric power plants) are taking place in the entire country at a density than ever before. Unfortunately, the disadvantages of these grand-scale manmade structures, put on the untouched natural environments with the excuse of meeting the energy requirements of the country, are far more extensive than their advantages. The exhibition 5% presenting the documentation through the photographs of Murat Germen, aims to draw attention to total share of electricity generation with hydroelectric power plants in the world.

COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME: EGLI

The Architect of the Republican Period: Ernst Arnold Egli / Leyla Alpagut

In the early years of the Republic, higher priorities given for foreign architects and supporting their projects can be considered as an effort in adopting an architectural style of a country in the process of foundation. Ernst Egli, being one of the prominent names among these architects, has contributed to the acceptance of modern architecture in Turkey, as a designer, educator and director. The author presents a brief panorama on Egli’s architectural life in Turkey.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Damned If You do and Damned If You Don’t: What is the Moral Duty of Architect? / Charlotte Skene Catling

The social and economic segregation getting reflected on urban and architectural space today engenders new questions on ethical values / disvalues that shape our professional field. As Charlotte Skene Catling states in the Professional Ethics section of the magazine, quoting from Alejandro Zaera-Polo, “architects have been consumed in the means of production and in simply making buildings. The architect then has been trapped within the thin skin of the facade, like a pressed flower, and with about as much command.”

COMPETITION

Düzce University Development Plan

Organised by Düzce University, the competition, which aimed for regarding the existing campus, the forest and the unallocated areas as a whole and in a sustainable manner, called for a “Campus Development Plan” that provides a holistic approach to socio-spatial relations set between the campus and its close environment and the city. Among the 56 projects submitted to the competition, 3 awards and 3 honourable mention awards were distributed. 

Designing Metropolitan Municipality of Tekirdağ Service Building, the Square and Close Environment

Announced by the Metropolitan Municipality of Tekirdağ, the competition aimed for achieving projects for the design of the new city centre that covers approximately 520.000 m² of an area also including the land allocated for the design of the service building of the Municipality.  Among 55 projects submitted to the competition, 3 awards, 3 honourable mention and 2 equivalent purchase awards were distributed.

FROM RURAL / CITY

Endürlük: The Space of Green and Stone / Hikmet Eldek

Endürlük, located at the south of Kayseri on the outskirts of Erciyes, is an old Greek village, which was abandoned by the Greeks after the exchange, leaving behind vacant houses for the use of Turks. Offering a life that is surrounded by intense green fabric, remote from the urban chaos and hand in hand with nature, Endürlük is one of the genuine settlements preserving its traditional lifestyle, with its church located at the centre and unaltered residential fabric.

ARCHITECTURAL CRITICISM

Brutal Statements of “Contact”: NoXX Apartment / Berin F. Gür

NoXX Apartment, with a façade that departs from the “typical” apartment blocks of Cihangir, and with the exposed material and structural purity, was awarded in the “Building Category” of 2014 National Architecture Awards. The author, evaluates the contextual and physical relations inherent in the building through the concepts of “contact with the context”, “contact with the street”, “contact with the neighbours” and “contact of materials”.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Melek İpek Girls’ Dormitory / Gülşah Güleç

Melek İpek Girls’ Dormitory, a building getting away from a regular dormitory typology with its formal language and search of a new “face”, was nominated for the “Building Category”in 2014 National Architecture Awards. The author evaluating on the building, which besides providing shelter to students, also suggests social spaces designed as a living space, focuses on the effects of the intimate relation between design and social culture on how we want to live and how we live.

URBAN DESIGN

Evaluation of Stagnant Urban Areas and Suggestions for Development: The Case of İzmir / Merve Çelik, İlknur Türkseven Doğrusoy, Rengin Zengel

The redefinition and transformation of undefined and stagnant areas, emerged as a result of unplanned development within the city, as public spaces, is important in increasing the life quality. The authors evaluate the values that distinguish İzmir such as, its coastal location and the fairs it hosts, its cosmopolitan culture, climate, universities, industrial areas, commercial ports and public spaces that offer a wide range of diverse life styles.

PRESERVATION – REVITALISATION

Kemaliye (Eğin) Village in the Context of Masonry Walls and the Notion of Conservation / M. Zafer Akdemir, Dilek Ekşi Akbulut

One of the best experiences of traditional fabric is hidden in the authentic details within the building techniques. The authors, subjecting Kemaliye, a village of Erzincan, known due to its authentic buildings and distinctive stonework, state the need for the enrolment of civic initiatives to the processes that are against the practices threatening urban memory, the image and regional identity of the village.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

2 Sanctuaries: A mosque, A Djemevi, A Contemporary Association / Orhan Özgüner

It is almost impossible to observe reflections of contemporary technologies and life styles on the planning of Sanctuaries, which are usually designed with historical assents. The author evaluating the architectural language and spatial configurations of mosques and djemevis, reveals the ideas on a new design approach.

HISTORY OF DESIGN

A Pioneer Modernist Metal Furniture Manufacturer in Turkey “Kare Metal Atelier” / Meltem Özkaraman Şen

The author subjects Kare Metal Atelier, founded in 1950s when there were not any metal furniture except those office cabinets made of steel, in Turkey. She issues the lack of material and infrastructural problems the atelier has faced in creating the concept of “modernist metal furniture” against the traditional furniture designs, besides the effects of the country’s political condition on the manufacturing processes.

CONTACT

Each Drop Counts: Warka Water/ Selda Bancı

Various projects are being developed on the water scarcity in Africa that has affected nearly 1 billion people. As an alternative to unsuccessful projects, Warka Water project, designed by Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler converts moisture in the air to water. These towers produced from soluble materials, can easily be cleaned and can be built in a shorter time than a week.