COMMEMORATION

Bülent Tarım: An Extraordinary Architect, Academician, Architect of Competitions / Ayşen Ciravoğlu

Bülent Tarım, graduated from DGSA in 1975, with an id no 7424 to Chamber of Architects’ İstanbul Metropolitan Branch, is a faculty member of Yıldız Technical University department of Building Science and known through his numerous achievements in architectural competitions. He passed away on 26th October 2015. Ayşen Ciravoğlu has written his obituary.

MİMARLIK AGENDA

Architectural Practice: Where to? / Eyüp Muhcu

The big chaos in the agenda of the world and the consequences of anti-peace policies of the government has affected and even located the country at the centre of war with the neighbouring countries. Parallel to the ruling party’s policies prioritising authoritarianism, violence and war for over 13 years, there is an increase in the tearing down of urban, environmental and cultural values are all evidences that we are on the brink of a real disaster in all aspects.

AGENDA

Socio-Cultural Expression and the Billboard of Capital: “AKM” / Tuğba Erdil Polat

The use of the main entrance façade of AKM building that is left dormant for many years, as a billboard, drew a public reaction. The author, evaluating on the subject, interprets the intervention as a postmodern instrumentalisation of culture in the service of the capital.

Green Roof, Green Wall and More: Green Infrastructure / Rüksan Tuna

On the Paris Agreement and Cities / Arif Cem Gündoğan

Two very significant conferences took place last month. The first one is European Urban Green Infrastructure Conference, which took place in Vienna between the dates 23-24 November and the latter is the Climate Change Conference in Paris, held from 30 November to 11 December and took wider public attention. Rüksan Tuna who is the only participant from Turkey, draws attention the different structure of the conference, which is held in Europe for the first time and presents a selection from the interesting projects in the conference. Arif Cem Gündoğan, a member of Ecology Collective, who has attended the Climate Change Conference in Paris, highlights the questions raised after the Paris Agreement and also emphasises the need for new urban policies. The manifesto prepared by the international organisations like UIA, ACE, CNOA and CIAF following the conference constitutes the third part of the article series. The manifesto draws attention to “our responsibilities for the future climate as architects” and “our obligations to design sustainable buildings for achieving sustainable cities capable of dealing with its problems”.

BIENNALE

IABA 2015 Antalya 3rd International Architecture Biennale

Looking to Future from Antalya / C. Abdi Güzer

Thinking and Discussing Together, a Chance for Experimentalism / Tansel Korkmaz

The 3rd International Architecture Biennale, organised by the Chamber of Architects Antalya Branch and with the support of Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, was held from 5 September to 30 October 2015 under the theme “Thinking the Future”. The biennale, organised in collaboration of the local government and civil societies, with an aim to bring together the professionals and citizens, distributed the events throughout the city. Abdi Güzer, draws attention to the sustainability of the event and its theme in its potentials not solely being limited to the biennale but needs to get wide spread with post-discussions and events to other cities and spaces. Tansel Korkmaz, as the curator of the biennale, summarises the invitation text sent to the participants and states the significance of the event as an opportunity to think and produce together.

ARCHITECTURE AND EDUCATION ASSEMBLY

Architectural Education Policies in Turkey / Subjects-Suggestions / Bülend Tuna

The author, who has presented in the session on “Suggestions for Architectural Education Policies in Turkey” in the 8th Architecture and Education Assembly, explains why we need an architectural education policy by displaying the facts and numbers about the professional environment and architectural education.

COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME: EGLI

Ernst A. Egli’s “National Library, Academy and Museum Project to be Built in Ankara” / Pelin Gürol Öngören

One of the fundamental needs of the newly established capital, the national library, academy and museum project dating 1933, besides being unbuilt, still has a significant place in the architecture of the Republican period. The building complex, being the first and only culture building of Egli, was designed with an aim to integrate Western and local forms. The author describing the 3-dimensional qualities of the project through the information gathered from the original drawings, states that the building coincides with the “national” and “modern” missions of the Republic.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Ethical Problems of Urban Design Competitions / Sertaç Erten, Özge Ejder, Devrim Çimen

The authors evaluating on the processes where professional ethics become an issue in urban design competitions, state that the notion of “public welfare” has turned into “urban right” and they provide a critical discussion platform on the inherent problems of the profession that come to fore in the competitions.

COMPETITION

Municipality of Beylikdüzü Belediyesi Djemevi, Cultural Centre and Its Environment National Architecture Competition

Announced by the Municipality of Beylikdüzü, the competition aimed to achieve projects for the design of a djemevi, together with its surrounding in a location at the valley which belongs to the use of municipality for recreation facilities located at the southern part of the region. Among the 81 projects received, 3 awards, 5 honourable mentions and 3 purchase awards were given.

Tekirdağ Water and Sewerage Administration General Directorate (TESKİ) Service Building Architectural Design Competition

Opened by the Tekirdağ Water and Sewerage Administration General Directorate Projects’ Department, the competition aimed for achieving projects that are developed in line with the current planning decisions, in harmony with the natural environment and contribute to the urban identity. The projects are evaluated in their potential to provide the most economic, functional, contemporary, sustainable and innovative solutions for the general use of the citizens of the region, contributing to the quality of urban life and also caring the environmental values. Among 39 projects submitted to the competition, 3 awards and 3 honourable mention awards were distributed.

Küçük Armutlu District Localised and with Local Contribution Improvement Plan National Architectural Ideas Competition

Announced by Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Foundation Sarıyer Branch, the competition aimed for design ideas that propose urban refinement ideas for improving public spaces in the neighbourhood scale of Küçük Armutlu region. The projects are expected to preserve its political and cultural fabric and don’t propose any demolition or increase in the height of the existing built environment. The competition evaluated 3 projects in the professional category and 11 projects in the student category. In the professional category 2 equivalent awards and 1 special award, and 5 equivalent, 5 special awards in the student category were distributed.

FROM RURAL / CITY

A Greek Village: Domatia (Old Doğanbey Village) / Mine Aşcı

Located at the estuary of Grand Menderes River, Domatia, an old Greek village, or as formerly called Doğanbey village, still reflects the characteristics of the period with its tissue and restored houses. The author, explaining this highly desirable settlement, conveys the work carried adhering to the original character of the village.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

New City Museum of Diyarbakır: Cemil Paşa Mansion / Yıldız Salman

Cemil Paşa Mansion, located inside the ramparts of the Diyarbakır, is one of the eminent mansions of the region with its spatial qualities and scale. Restored by a local team respecting the existing qualities of the building and urban necessities, the building has gained a new function as a city museum. The author, analysing the building that is announced as the nominee in 2014 National Architecture Awards “Building Category-Preservation & Revitalisation Projects”, states that the restoration project has preserved the genuine building technology and original details of the building.

URBAN TRANSFORMATION

Is there a Single Alternative to Urban Transformation? DEMOLISH-CONSTRUCT / E. Yeşim Özgen Kösten

The definition of urban transformation, which means the interventions implied on the existing qualities to adapting new qualities, has changed to the demolition of the existing structures for the sake of attaining ‘higher quality’ buildings. This transformation is believed to have caused the rise of uniform designs. The author, stating that the transformation mostly done disregarding the sense of place, evaluates the Municipality of Çanakkale Social Dwelling Urban Transformation Competition, which she also participated, through her own experiences. She further emphasises that competitions are platforms for discussing alternative approaches.

URBAN SPACE

The Concept of Historical Silhouette of İstanbul and the Problem of Public Visibility / Işıl Uçman Altınışık

Onaltıdokuz Towers in Zeytinburnu brought to the agenda the ongoing discussions on silhouette and make us rethink on hierarchies like what is the urban value, the limits of public space and priorities of visibility in public space, which can have political attachments. The author, while analysing the historical and cultural meanings behind the silhouettes of historic buildings, states that the discussions should be conducted through perception and visuality.

ARCHITECTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PERIOD

Modernisation Efforts in Agriculture in the Early Republican Period: Mebus İsmet Eker Farm in Çorum / Ömer İskender Tuluk

Buildings that belonged to Atatürk Forest Farm but located outside the Farm, were mostly disregarded in researches in the field of architectural history, but yet they actually carry significant clues on the rural agricultural life. The author addresses İsmet Eker’s farm in Çorum, who has worked as a deputy in the Parliament for 36 years and known with his efforts in the development of modern agriculture in the Parliament with various activities. He follows the tracks of modernity represented in the rural with this building complex that still preserves its original condition in terms of its building technology and spatial organisation.

The Park of Everyone: Envisioning the Future for Izmir Culturepark / Burkay Pasin, Kıvanç Kılınç, Ahenk Yılmaz

The evaluations by the editors of the book The (Un)Recallings of İzmir Culturepare: Representations, Spaces and Actors, try to understand the future of the park. The authors, while assessing the significance of the park in urban memory, stress the need for planning strategies that regard the multi-layered and multi-functional character of the park.

BOOK REVIEW

Searching the Appeal of the City in Movies / Nilgün Fehim Kennedy

The author reviews the book of Feride Çiçekoğlu, The Appeal of the City, which provides a reading on the future social progress through the clues acquired from movies.

CONTACT

A Project of Awareness: Paper Brick / Esen Gökçe Özdamar, Okşan Tandoğan, Elif Ulu

The pavilion constructed by the architecture students out of used paper cups, was exhibited at the city centre to draw attention to the notions of recycling and reuse. The authors comment on the process and project’s outputs.