50th ANNIVERSARY OF MİMARLIK

In the issues of the year 2013, where we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mimarlık magazine, there will be articles covering the ideas and evaluations on the past 50 years, memories related to the magazine, suggestions and visions for the future. For this issue the articles, which contribute to this section, include Doğan Hasol, Aydan Erim, Aydan Balamir and Oktay Ekinci, each of whom undertook positions as the owner of the magazine and editor in chief in the past.

MİMARLIK AGENDA                                                                                                                  

Major Threats Awaiting our Natural Values / Ruşen Keleş

The Draft Law on the Preservation of Nature and Biologic Diversity is being discussed at the Parliament Commissions for a long time. The aim is to protect nature and natural values and to ensure their sustainability. Taking a glance at the name and the provisions of the Draft Law, at first stance it seems like the legislator puts a sincere effort in attaining a better protection for natural values, forests, national parks and green areas. However according to the author it may not be the case. He states that two most obscure concepts of the proposal are the “ecological impact assessment” and the “eminent public interest”.

EVENT

Adventure in Tracing the Light: Architecture of Erkut Şahinbaş / Başak Uçar

“Mimar Sinan Grand Award” announced in the scope of the National Architecture Exhibition and Awards by the Chamber of Architects, was given to Erkut Şahinbaş in 2012 due to the outstanding works along his professional life and contribution to architecture. In this context a panel, which focuses on Şahinbaş and his architecture, was organised on April 12, 2013 in TED University. The exhibition titled as “Adventure in Tracing the Light: Architecture of Erkut Şahinbaş”, which was curated by N. Müge Cengizkan, brought together the outstanding buildings and projects of the architect. The exhibition can be visited in the same place till the end of April.

OLYMPICS AND İSTANBUL

Aftermath of 2012 London Olympics, While İstanbul Awaits its Turn / Haydar Karabey

The countdown to 2020 Olympics, where İstanbul is a favourable candidate has started. The final decision for İstanbul, which is competing with Tokyo and Madrid, is going to be announced in September 2013. The author questions whether the architecture of the country, citizens, society and most importantly the city itself, is ready to reclaim perception and understanding proper to “Olympic spirit”.

FILE

CONSERVATION PRACTICES OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE:

An Overview to Current Profile

The renovation and transformation of the buildings that belong to modern period are opened to discussion in the light of contemporary practices. The file focuses on different stories of the transformation of three large-scale buildings and a campus. In order to provide an overview to current practices subjecting the transformation of modern architectures, where the application of new building technologies and techniques and the use of new materials are tested, Abdi Güzer discusses the conversion of TED Ankara Collage settlement to TED University campus, Murat Tabanlıoğlu discusses the transformation of Ataturk Cultural Centre (AKM) in İstanbul and Nezih Aysel discusses the renovation of the Academy of Fine Arts building. Even though the file focuses on the new conservation technologies, the issue cannot be discussed independent of the buildings’ urban context, or their symbolic values, or the new uses they have adopted. The number of examples, where the buildings or settlements, mostly the landmarks of the city, are transformed to bear new roles within the daily life of the city, are certainly not few. Three buildings subjected in the file are three separate conservation stories...

ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION              

Municipality of Uşak Service Building                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          7 sayfa

The location of the competition, where the service building for Municipality of Uşak is to be designed, is defined as a new centre in the city and is included to the region, which is subject to urban transformation. The urban transformation project is planned to include the planning of public buildings, commercial, residential and recreational areas within the region. There are decadent industrial buildings inside the competition area. Among the 183 projects submitted to the competition 3 awards, 5 honorary mention and 6 purchase awards were distributed.

COMPETITION REVIEW

Municipality of Uşak Service Building Architectural Competition Colloquium Notes / H. İbrahim Alpaslan

The competition was finalised with the awards ceremony and the opening of the exhibition in Uşak Atatürk Cultural Centre on March 16, 2013. The municipality of Uşak, which has come to the architectural agenda with competitions it has announced one after another in recent years, carried its experience in this field to another level by achieving the architectural project of the new service building again by launching a competition. With regards to the topic, the scale and the jury profile the competition drew fair attention with the submission of 183 projects. Participation to the colloquium and exhibition was high, besides the difficulties of transportation to Uşak.

AGENDA

A New Period in Rural Space Policies / Hürriyet Öğdül

Adopted in 2012, the law known as “Metropolitan Law” puts forward change at various scales and diversities, in the planning of rural areas, which cannot easily be grasped. These include a systematic effort, which promotes the increase of building practices in villages, and the replacement of the concept of “preservation”, which is repeatedly used in the Village Law of 1924, with other familiar concepts such as “discharge”, “demolition”, “expropriation”, “agreement”, “agency of expropriation” and the “revenue sharing”.

FROM RURAL / CITY

Kadıovacık / Ülkü İnceköse, Selim Sarp Tunçoku, Tonguç Akış

Kadıovacık, in İzmir’s Urla district is a nomadic village located at the centre of Karaburun Peninsula. Kadıovacık, gaining a new status to be announced as a district rather than a village with the new Metropolitan Law, is marked by the lowest rate of migration unlike the other rural settlements of İzmir. The square, located on a hillside overlooking the lowland, is surrounded by a gigantic pine tree, coffee shop, grocery store, local government building and a mosque. The atmosphere of the village, where the traditional settlement pattern and architecture are mostly preserved, is identified with dark gray stone material.

URBAN ACUPUNCTURE

Small Scale Intervention from Individual Tactics to Urban Strategies / Evren Uzer

In today’s world, where everything is measured through bigness, the author touches upon small-scale urban interventions, which locate public interest at its core and care primarily about user participation. These urban interventions even they are small in scale, can be regarded as little touches that grasp the essence of needs and as in domino effect have the power to trigger bigger reactions.

URBAN LIFE

The City and Construction Site / Selçuk Alten

Construction sites at various scales, especially within the dense urban fabric, presents harsh conditions both for the citizens and construction workers, when necessary precautions are not taken. The author analyses the problems of the “construction site” and the “city” by referring primarily to the planning conditions of the construction site, and later to building industry and finally to the conditions of the big cities in relation to the current conditions of the country.

ARCHITECTURE

Discussions on Type and Typology in Architecture: 13th Venice Biennale / Gülşah Güleç

The role of type and typology in existing visual and written reservoir of architecture is being re-questioned today. The discussions are mainly on “imitation” and “copying” in architectural design. 2012 Venice Architectural Biennale held under the theme “Common Ground” became an attractive platform for these discussions due to its theme. The author while focusing on the installations that discuss type and typology in the biennale, argues that imitation and copying are not regarded as obstructing originality and innovation, on the contrary they are excepted as creative design methods leading new type and typologies.

URBAN DESIGN

Urban Design Analysis Based on Movement and Perception at Sultanahmet Square / Ayşe Özbil, Özlem Özer, Ayşe Sema Kubat

As the most important historical city centre of İstanbul with dense pedestrian /vehicular traffic, a pedestrianisation project was developed by UKOME at Sultanahmet region. The authors present the outcomes of the research project that tries to put forward a design framework, which will guide the work on urban design and pedestrianisation project and strengthen the spatial and perceptual organisation of Sultanahmet Square and its environment.

DISASTER

Criteria of the Building Site for the Temporary Health Station to be Built after Earthquake / Erkan Avlar, Ezgi Korkmaz

Problems that may arise during medical intervention of people injured in the earthquake can be overcome with the planning of health stations which can quickly be installed after an earthquake and which can provide the necessary conditions for any medical intervention. The authors highlight the general criteria of installation site, and standards of the ground, environmental factors and existing infrastructure, for temporary health stations to provide better service in the event of a disaster.

ARCHITECTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PERIOD

20th Century Modern Architecture Heritage Must be Protected!

DOCOMOMO_Turkey: After 10 Years… / Elvan Altan Ergut

DOCOMOMO_Turkey Work Group has celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event, which was built around a situation assessment and discussions on the predictions of future. The author, who is in the board of directors of the group, writes that “the main target in achieving a built environment for maintaining the historical continuity of which architecture of the Republican period is part, we should be able to produce multifaceted projects approved by majority, rather than getting trapped to individual projects defined by certain parties.”

CONTACT

High Line: New York’s Urban Park / Derin İnan

Different experiences of the city through the practice of walking have inspired the birth of many urban theories and readings, starting with Baudelaire. Located at the west site of Manhattan, High Line project, achieved by the transformation of the elevated industrial railway line into an urban park and promenade, can be considered as a project inspired by the influences of these experiences. It is also how an industrial heritage of a city is subject to an original re-use.