MİMARLIK AGENDA

Inevitable Agenda of Local Elections / Ali Cengizkan

Cengizkan evaluates the March 31st local elections in the city scale, underlines remarkable details of the agenda and asks questions: Are you ready to be the subject questioning the nature and quality of the city services you receive in the ‘place’ where your house situates? Are you ready to be the subject who is ready to give from their personal time, even if no one asks, and work in order to improve these services? Even if it is not your direct concern, even if it is not your direct question, are you ready to oppose the righteous injustice to fight for the city rights of everyone?

AGENDA

Great Buildings, Great Misconceptions and Ethics / Alper Ünlü

Focusing on mega projects around the cities, the article focuses on the concept of ethics and asks, “is ethics just an ordinary concept that should only be mentioned in universities?

Zoning Amnesty: Collapses, Resolutions / Murat Balamir

The author draws attention to the risks taken by the authorities trying to portray the “zoning amnesty” as a good-faith approach. By pointing out the problems that will be created by all kinds of risky structures that will be allowed under this regulation, the author states that “the consumption of natural environments with unauthorized structures, destructing urban aesthetics and encouraging illegal developments will led to a “zoning collapse.”

COMMEMORATION

A Retrospective View of Afife Batur's Work / Aygül Ağır

For Afife Batur: with the Memories of 60 Years / Erdoğan Elmas

The owner of the “Achievement Award in Contribution to Architecture” in the 7th National Architecture Exhibition and Awards “due to her contributions to architectural history education and her exemplary studies in the architectural profession,” Afife Batur passed away on 16 December 2018. The new book from the “Portraits from the History of the Chamber of Architects” series published by the Chamber of Architects’ Istanbul Metropolitan Branch will be about Batur and her achievements. The book will meet with readers in the coming months. We honor his life and memory with respect.

Ziya Tanalı: “To Have the Honor of the Virtue of Struggling with the Unnecessary Business of the World” / Zeynep Üstün Onur

The owner of the “Achievement Award in Contribution to Architecture” in the 11th National Architecture Exhibition and Awards due to “his multifaceted contributions to the profession of architecture as an architect, educator, critic, writer and manager; his rejection of any compromise on the quality of the architectural product; his belief in architecture’s critical approach;  the conceptual characteristics of his buildings; his close attention to details; and his decisive attitude that enables the richness through a simple architectural language,” Ziya Tanalı passed away on 9 December 2018. We honor his life and memory with respect.

COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME: NEZİH ELDEM

Open Call for Studies on Nezih Eldem!

Within the Chamber of Architects’ Commemoration Program 2018-2020, Nezih Eldem and his contributions will be studied closely. In this context, articles about Nezih Eldem's multi-faceted personality and his contributions to the architectural community are to be published in Mimarlık. As the editorial team, we look forward to your contributions and original research focusing on NEZİH ELDEM. 

ARCHITECTURAL CRITICISM

Complex Spatial Organization and Remarkable Tectonics: Diyarbakır Yenişehir Municipality Building / Zeynep Ataş

Diyarbakır Yenişehir Municipality Building was awarded in “Building Category”” in the 2018 National Architecture Exhibition and Awards due to “the environmental and climatic sensitivity against the site conditions, the effect of the void in the creation of the spaces and the formation of the masses, the spatial quality achieved in both vertical and horizontal dimensions, the emphasis on the structural elements in the façades, the material preferences, the consistent approach in the interior-exterior relationship, and the overall richness in the regional production of the public buildings.” The author emphasizes the transparency of this structure and the attention paid to get closer to the street scale, all very much against the conventional architectural language of public buildings “representing the administrative power.”

ARCHITECTURE IN CRISIS CONDITIONS

The Construction Sector under Economic Crisis Conditions / Dogan Hasol

The construction sector, which is a direct component of architecture and one of the country's development policies, is having a hard time following the collapse of the economy. In parallel with the agenda of the country, Chamber of Architects recently presented the “Architecture Policy” document. The author draws attention to the necessity of implementing an effective architectural policy for regulating today's architecture and enables us to look closely at the social and political aspects.

COMPETITIONS

On the Traces of Urban Memory, Akhisar Old Town Hall and its Surroundings National Architecture and Urban Design Idea Competition

To develop ideas on the urban and public use scenarios for the former Municipality Building, the Central Mosque, the former Girls' Vocational High School, the historical Park Cinema and the old City Hall, the Municipality of Akhisar organized an architectural competition that has been recently finalized. 64 projects were evaluated in the free, national and single-staged competition, and 3 awards and 5 equivalent honorable mentions were distributed.

Korean War Memorial Area and Visitor Center Architectural Project Competition

To introduce ideas, concepts and approaches that will be the basis for the subsequent plan and project levels; and to determine basic data and programs, the Municipality of Lüleburgaz organized an architectural competition that has been recently finalized. 249 projects were evaluated in the free, national and single-staged competition, and 3 awards and 5 equivalent honorable mentions were distributed.

CULTURAL HERITAGE UNDER THREAT

Poetic Representation of Adobe Architecture Balaban

In this volume’s Cultural Heritage under Threat section, Zeynep Eres investigates the issue of Malatya-Balaban.

ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

Is It Still Teaching What You Know or Heard of? / K. Ferhan Yürekli

The architectural education, which was shaped under the titles of art and craft with the effects of the developments in the 19th century, is now associated with digital technologies in design studios. The author discusses the learning methods of master-apprentice relationship through the education of today's architecture, draws attention to the importance of evaluation and interpretation in architectural education and expresses that the speed of the age can only be reached through cognitive speed.

Invisible PhDs: Doctoral Studies on Architectural Design in Turkey / Hakan Anay, Ülkü Özten, Meltem Özten Anay, Yiğit Acar

In the last twenty years, Turkey have reached a significant volume of doctoral studies in the field of architecture. However, the visibility of these studies projects a big question mark. The authors discuss the topic through the concepts of visibility / invisibility and argue that the academic circle needs to focus on this issue. They initiate the discussion to rethink the definition of the essence of the doctorate of architecture and to rethink the shifts in this concept.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

An attempt to decode a modern zoning: 1865 Hocapaşa Fire / Sibel Gürses Söğüt

Fires, which are the usual reality of 19th century Istanbul, are seen as a kind of tool for the realization of modern zoning applications - especially after the declaration of Tanzimat. The author states that the regulations reflecting the urbanism of that period cannot be clearly recognized today and allows us to take a quick look at the changes made.

REBUPLICAN ARCHITECTURE

An Important Node in the History of Turkish Tourism: Aksaray Ağaçlı Tourist Facilities / Nida Naycı

Beginning in the 1950s as a reflection of the rapidly developing tourism, Turkey encountered "touristic facilities on the road," that became important witnesses of the modern architectural heritage. The author analysis Orhan Ağaçlı Aksaray Touristic Facilities. Although lost its importance today due to changing conditions, the complex is an important milestone for ”holiday village” design that have become widespread for a certain period.

From Sustainable Design to Abandonment: Foça Club Méditerranée / Hayriye Oya Saf

Foça Club Méditerranée (Med) Holiday Village is an example of highly qualified modern architecture that reflects its period with details referring to the Mediterranean architecture. In the light of the plans and documents related to the complex, the author presents the life of the building by documenting it in stages and draws attention to the importance of the facility both for the locals and for the tourism sector.

CONTACT

The Social Power of Architecture: Maidan Tent / Aysu Gürman

The architects Bonaventura Visconti di Modrone and Leo Bettini Oberkalmsteiner believe in the social power of architecture and think that public spaces are basic human needs. Their design, Maidan Tent, is a meeting point that provides the contact and interaction produced by the spatial configuration.