ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN ASSEMBLIES

2nd Meeting Took Place in Samsun

The second meeting of “Towards an Architectural Politics for Turkey”: Architecture and Urban Assemblies has taken place in Samsun from 11 to 12 November, 2006. Various local presentations on the theme “Transportation, Environmental Politics and Architecture” had a chance to discuss the problems they face with the audience. The meeting especially focused on the development policies that are being applied in the coast of Black Sea and how these projects affect the environment.

EVENTS

* Following Albert Gabriel / Mathilde Pinon-Demirçivi, Pierre Pinon

The exhibition hosted by Yapı Kredi Taşkent Art Gallery “Albert Gabriel (1883-1972): Architect, Archaeologist, Artist and Surveyor” has taken place between 15th September and 9th November 2006 in Istanbul. The exhibition presented the works that have been discovered by Pierre Pinon in the house where Gabriel was living in Champagne, France first time to public view. The writers, who had active roles in the curation of the exhibition, also in the preparation of the exhibition catalogue, present an insight to the event.

* Consultation towards the Concept of ‘House’ / Şevin Yıldız

The ‘house’ in its concept, settlement, social role and economic conditions, creates a dynamic and attractive ground to research on. Even though it has been an issue constantly exhausted with various concepts like the house/house of the future/ sustainable/ mobile..etc., it still preserves a rich content to talk and argue. Consultation towards the Concept of ‘House’ has been organized as an event with multidisciplinary participants that came together to take advantage from the arguments that can be produced over the concept of house. The event has been summarised by the organisers.

* After the 10th Venice Architectural Biennale: Cities, Architecture and Society / Arzu Erdem, Nurbin Paker

The tenth International Venice Architectural Biennale, directed by Richard Burdett and dedicated to “Cities. Architecture and society”, took place from 10 September to 19 November, 2006. The writers summary gives an overview to the exhibitions that were scattered throughout the city from City Port” exhibition in Palermo to “Cities of Stone” exhibition that took place in ‘Corderie dell’Arsenale’.

ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

* Proceedings of the 9th European Network of Heads of Schools of Architecture -ENHSA- Meeting / Almula Köksal

November was a month full of events on architectural education. From 3rd Architectural Education Forum to 13th MOBBİG de Network of Heads of Architecture Departments in Turkey –MOBBIG- meeting architectural education was discussed on many levels. Architectural education in Europe on the other hand was the topic of the 9th European Network of Heads of Schools of Architecture Meeting organized by European Association of Architectural Education – EAAE, in Crete, Greece in 2-6 September 2006. The writer summarises the meeting whose main themes were the new Qualifications Directive and the pre results of the research on Qualification of Architectural Education organised under the scope of Sokrates Programme.

ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUMS

The Museum of Finnish Architecture: A Museum of Documentation and Production / Tuğçe Selin Tağmat

The Museum of Finnish Architecture, one of the oldest architectural museums in the world, is an important example for countries like Turkey, where there is a longing intention to establish a national architectural museum. The Finnish museum having an active cooperation with national and international architectural institutions and having supported many projects to realize is an institution that deserves attention. The archive, apart from the donated photographs, slides, original drawings, blueprints and documents also shelters a large collection on the Finnish Architecture with many projects produced in research fields, competitions and database for architects. With all the permanent and traveling exhibitions as well as their publications Finnish Architecture creates a change to be exhibited in various different places.

FILE

Between Real and Imitation: Reproduced Identities, Fake Origins

Even through it is a general concept, “fake” conditions are becoming to be used widely in architecture and urban practices. The examples of fake structures, fake buildings and fake urban environments often carry historical references, like Ottoman or Seljuk architectures’ courtyard organisations, structural arrangements with fake structures or materials that carry references to various things except themselves. When the public taste is drawn back to this point, clients and users prefer new buildings that imitate old traditional architecture. Paradoxically though instead of transforming the old buildings for reuse, it is more common to produce new buildings which act as old. The condition cannot be identified merely with architectural issues, however new identities achieved from fake origins constitute a great obstacle for achieving any genuine object as it also prevents the search for it. The articles within the file tried to approach to the notions of ‘fake’, ‘imitation’ and ‘authentic’ from different evaluations and approaches. Abdi Güzer in his article “ The Limits of Reality and Imitation in Architecture ” draws attention to the role of architectural criticism, where the issue of imitation instead of being a negative aspect in practice, can be evaluated in its particular context. Şevki Vanlı, on the other hand emphasizes the importance of evaluating the actual local, historical and contemporary conditions in his article “An Obsession:’ One cannot do better’: Ideas on Cultural Cooperation and Imitation”. Şengül Öymen Gür participates into the discussion with her article“Imitation in Architecture: New Arrangements for Old Folk Songs”, which points to the significance of imitation in the practice and education of architecture. The final article “From ‘Fake’ Conditions to Cloning: A View from Bursa” by Hamdi Dostoğlu refers to the notion of identity as a reflection of culture and therefore the architectural products which try to imitate by visual references can never achieve to have an identity in true sense.

INTERVIEW

An Interview with İlhan Tekeli on his book “Cumhuriyetin Harcı I-II-III”: Modernity and its Historiography in Turkey / Interview: Ali Cengizkan

İlhan Tekeli and Selim İlkin has collected their articles that were already published in various other mediums, and which set their subject to the cognitive, socio economic, environmental development of modernity in Turkey, in a three volume book “Cumhuriyet’in Harcı” (Republic’s Mortar), published in 2004. Getting its start from the issues discussed in the book, the interview which was made by Ali Cengizkan in 29 November 2006, tries to unfold the historiography of architecture through the concepts such as continuities, globalism and locality.

ARCHITECTURAL POLICIES

* Events from European Forum for Architectural Policies: Establishing New Dialogues, Making Architecture More Prominent…/Tuğçe Selin Tağmat

Having founded in Paris, in July 2000, the European Forum for Architectural Policies-EFAP, aims at establishing collaboration in architectural matters among EU countries and therefore organises a series of events and meetings in order to sustain a medium for communication and sharing. Becoming more active each day the Forum had organised one of its major event in 19-21 October 2006 in Helsinki, Finland. In this 3-day event, the mornings were dedicated to discussions on how the Forum functions, and followed by various presentations and evaluations under theme theme; “Celebrating Daily Life – Different Aspects of Architectural Policies” in the afternoons. Parallel to the meetings there were also a series of events and tours organised for introducing Finnish architecture as well as the significant institutions that have supported the formation of architectural culture in Finland. The author while summarising her experiences, also draws attention to possible alternatives that can be achieved in creating an architectural culture in our contemporary societies.

COMPETITION

Local Values in Urban Design Competitions: Balıkesir Çamlık Competition / Gaye Birol, Yasemin İnce Güney

Belonging to the scale between architecture and urban planning, the practice of urban design benefiting from various disciplinary approaches, covers projects that not only aim enriching the environmental values but also work for attaining a character to the urban space. Concepts such as ‘cityscape’, ‘urban space’ and ‘public space’ have started to be used widely in the agendas of architecture, local initiatives and society especially with the rise of urban design competitions in recent years. This has brought along productive arguments on how problematic areas within cities can transform and still be able adjust to the surrounding urban texture by means of different urban functions. The writers highlight some valuable key issues that the urban design projects should handle through analyzing the competition opened for the Balıkesi Çamlık Hill, and its local values and problems.

COMPETITION

TBMM Archive-Research Centre, General Secretariat Service Building and Reception Complex Architectural Design Competition

The results of the competition opened for achieving a new extension building, which will be the new archive, library and research centre of the Turkish Parliament Building, have announced earlier in September. The building complex, which is going to contain the archives and library, was accepted to house a general secretariat service building and a reception unit, providing its employers and researchers a convenient working atmosphere. Security and systematic organisation of the archival material were also one of the fundamental criteria in the selection of the projects. Among the submitted proposals the jury had given 3 awards, 5 mention and 3 purchase awards. The first prize was given to the project of Cem Açıkkol and Kaan Özer because of its perceptive manner towards its surrounding and meticulous approach towards the necessities of the architectural programme. The voids that were left between the units, their inner relations and how they all reflected to the whole of the project were stated as the other successful features of the project. The second prize was given to the project of Rıfat Gökhan Koçyiğit and Bilge Bulut Aksaz, where the third prize was given to project of Bozkurt Gürsoytrak, Derya Güleç and Hilal Ayaz.

BOOK REVIEW

“Talking on Architecture” with Şevki Vanlı / Gürhan Tümer

Having an architectural experience over half a century, Şevki Vanlı, has collected his ideas and criticisms on architecture and especially on our architecture in three volumes: “Mimariden Konuşmak”, “Bilinmek İstenmeyen 20. Yüzyıl Türk Mimarlığı”, “Eleştirel Bakış” (translates as; “Talking on Architecture”, “The Disguised 20th Century Turkish Architecture”, “Critical Approach”). In Vanlı’s words “the book is a try to understand the Turkish architecture from within as well as an attempt to turn complaint into a critical approach”. The book is reviewed by Gürhan Tümer.

MEA ARCHITECTURA MEA CULPA

“Against Architecture” / Gürhan Tümer

There should be plenty of books in an architect’s library. There obviously should be books on the history of architecture, on design theory, on architectural education and on construction. However there should also be books on art, literature, poetry and philosophy. Apart from the entire list provided above there remains a significant book, which should be present in an architect’s library, “Against Architecture”.