MİMARLIK AGENDA

How to read the 15 July Coup Attempt and Practices in the aftermath? / İlhan Tekeli

As stated by the author, in the aftermath of the coup attempt, Turkey needs to re-evaluate the relationship between politics, democracy and religion. Secularism, the definition of which was misrepresented by the AKP government as a democracy provider, needs to be redefined as a guarantor for democracy’s continuity in Turkey.

OBITUARY

Will never leave, will never stop... We lost our Master, our Professor / Deniz İncedayı

Orhan Şahinler, graduated from DGSA in 1952, with an id no 673 to İstanbul Metropolitan Branch, passed away on September 17, 2016. As a recent EIA Advisory Board member, he played an important role both in the foundation phase of the Chamber of Architects and also served in several executive committees for many periods. Deniz İncedayı has written his obituary.

In the Pursuit of Salih Zeki Pekin / Aslı Özbay

Graduated from ESA Paris in 1975, Salih Zeki Pekin, with an id no 7041 to Chamber of Architects’ İzmir Branch, passed away on August 30, 2016. With numerous contributions to the profession, he served as the Chamber of Architects’ president, treasurer and as a jury member for the National Architecture Exhibition and Awards Program. Aslı Özbay has written his obituary.

Respect to a Master / M. Sabri Orcan

Melih Koray, graduated from DGSA in 1951, with an id no 909 to the Chamber of Architects’ İstanbul Metropolitan Branch, passed away on September 19, 2016. Koray had major contributions in the formation of Kadikoy's architectural identity. Sabri Orcan has written his obituary.

The architect of the Pergamon Excavations: Martin Bachmann / Zeynep Kuban

The deputy director of the German Archaeological Institute’s Istanbul Branch and the deputy chairman of the Pergamon Excavations, Martin Bachmann passed away on August 3, 2016. Zeynep Kuban has written his obituary.

AGENDA

Public-Private Partnerships and Growing Issues / Mustafa Sönmez

Public-private partnerships designate maintenance, management and construction services of various public infrastructural investments that are operated by one or more private sector companies for long terms. The specific definition of “long-term” here hints the impacts of these projects on public domain that will be felt for many years. By interpreting the public-private partnerships as a method to keep the state away from the economy, the author highlights the urgent need for establishing review processes for uncontrolled PPP arrangements.

On the Problem of Universities’ Closure / Nur Esin

The first decree issued after the 15 July coup attempt included the closure of 15 private universities, as well as several other schools and organizations. Since then, except some decisions related to the students of closed institutions, no direct statements were made regarding the situations of the academic and administrative staff working in these universities. By explaining her personal experiences, the author reviews the problems among students.

For good architecture, first we need good city management and city planning / Doğan Hasol

Each new intervention to a city that is known for its iconic skyline and image buildings is expected both to have contemporary features and also to pay respect to the past. Skyscrapers punctuating Istanbul’s skyline today heats up this debate. Hasol writes in response to İlber Ortaylı’s recent article on this subject and criticizes the arguments that take architects as responsible for the improper interventions in the city.

BIENAL

15th Venice Architecture Biennale

The 15th Venice Biennale of Architecture, organized around the theme of "Reporting From the Front," was curated by the Pritzker award-winning Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena. This was the second time a Turkish Pavilion with a national exhibition appeared in the Biennale. The Turkish Pavilion was designed and selected following an open architectural competition organized by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV). Starting from the announcement of the awards till the present day, the winning project caused heated debates among Turkish architectural community. The file summarizes these discussions and presents three different views from three authors. Abdi Güzer evaluates the main exhibition the necessity for various approaches that both "establish links between architecture and global and local problems" and "re-apply social responsibilities to architecture." With a closer look at Darzanà, the Turkish Pavilion, Berin F.Gür argues that the project –although being shadowed by the controversial discussions - has created a new 'front' by making the Golden Horn Shipyard visible again. Yelta Köm, who presents instances from the stimulus created by the biennial, refers to the importance and nature of the "debate" itself independently from the "project" being discussed and considers what we have left from the biennial as "valuable remnants".

EVENT

A Look at Architectural Education from EAAE Conference / Derya Yorgancıoğlu

This year's General Assembly and Conference of the European Architectural Education Association (EAAE) was held in Holland from August 31 to September 3, 2016, under the concept of “For Example Delft: A Case Study Discussed in the Context of Institutional Profile(s) and the Future of Architectural Education.” The conference was 19th of the series and was hosted by the Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment at Delft Technical University.

PRESERVATION

The Icon of Istanbul’s Republican Period: AKM / Zafer Akay

ACC, the first opera house of Istanbul, which has been closed since 2008, is under threat because of its position and the values ​​it represents. Many projects that were planned so far to be built instead of the abandoned structure brought different problems and questions. The author focuses on the causes of these attacks directed to ACC, while also underlining the reasons why this building should be protected.

Demolition in the TBMM Settlement: Global-Underground Organizations and Local- Overground Agencies at Work / Aydan Balamir

Despite the struggle for a long time to be preserved, the Turkish Parliament’s Public Relations Building is now yet another modern architectural heritage destroyed under the pretext of "unable to meet the needs of our time." The fact that the practice of architecture has the power to transform buildings with new functions without destroying them reveals that this decision like many other similar ones is not merely architectural. Reviewing the process, Balamir emphasizes that buildings of the parliament are not regular "real estate" properties nor the area around the complex constitute regular land plots open to “arbitrarily assigned zoning regulations.” 

COMPETITIONS

Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Building Architectural Project Competition

With a vision to create a local government building that is easily accessible and has adaptable physical spaces used for common purposes, the Metropolitan Municipality of Balikesir organized an architectural competition that has been recently finalized. 95 projects were evaluated in the free, national and single-staged competition, and 3 awards, 5 equivalent honorable mentions and 2 purchase awards were distributed.

Kırşehir Planetarium and Culture Park Architectural Project Competition

The Kırşehir Municipality has finalized the architectural project competition for the Planetarium and Culture Park, which was a part of a series of contests and urban scale projects initiated in order to re-function the city center, emphasize the city’s historical and cultural values ​​and hence to obtain a center open to the public. In this free, national and single-staged competition, 3 awards and 5 honorable mentions were distributed among 39 evaluated projects.

Urban Design and Architectural Project Competition for the City Center in Adana - Seyhan Sucuzade District Urban Transformation Area

To design a complex to host commercial, social, recreational and cultural facilities, Adana Seyhan Municipality organized an urban design and architectural competition that has been recently finalized. Out of 10 projects selected for the second stage of this free, national and two-staged competition, 3 awards and 7 equivalent honorable mentions were distributed.

ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES

An Overview of the Current Building Legislation and a Proposal for Turkey / Sedat Altındaş

To realize the architectural professional services, many different components must coexist at the sometime. The legislations governing these co-existences, however, is determined and regulated by different authorities from different institutions. Addressing the current building legislations, the author advocates the necessity for the preparation of a Building By-law.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Diyarbakır Fortress and Conflicting Environment: Sealed Spaces and the Resilient Cultural Heritage / Kamuran Sami

The clashes in the central district of Sur, which started right after the addition of Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, led to the destruction of the cultural heritage. This conflict, however, did not cause considerable repercussions in the society.  The author argues that the region faces the threat of urbicide, which means violence against the city.   

RURAL SETTLEMENTS

Rural Settlements in Karaburun within the Dilemma of Tourism and Conservation / Umut Devrim Genç, Eti Akyüz Levi

The Karaburun Peninsula with its still visible traces of traditional urban fabric stands as an example demonstrating how the construction demands reflected onto the small rural settlements. The rapidly growing unplanned built environment, mainly due to the increased vehicular accessibility provided through new road constructions, already threatens Karaburun. By analyzing five villages in the area, the author r emphasizes the necessity of supporting sustainable tourism varieties in order to protect rural settlements and the nature.

CONTACT

Lost in Green / Didem Bahar

The "Highly Recommended" award of The Architectural Review magazine goes to the "Garden of Forking Paths" designed by the Chilean architectural office Beals Lyon Arquitectos. The project, which consists of two modular cubic structures obtained from recycled scaffolding, offers visitors the opportunity to relax in the natural green area and escape from the city's chaos.