COMMEMORATIONS

The Big Loss in the Field of Preservation: Cahide Tamer / Nur Akın

After the recent bereavement of Cahide Tamer, who was one of the earliest women architect and restorator of Turkey, Nur Akın gives a summary of the works carried out by Tamer nationally and internationally. Starting her career as a restorator from mid 20th century, Cahide Tamer, who had commissioned many projects by the Turkish government, including Amcazade Hüseyin Paşa Mansion, Rumelihisarı, Yedikule Altınkapı, also holds a mention from the French government for her Ottoman Fountain designed in the garden of the French Palace.

To Our Beloved Teacher Prof. Kemal Ahmet Arû… / Hande Suher

As a dedication to Kemal Ahmet Arû, who has been a leading figure in architecture and planning as well as in the foundation of Chamber of Architects, the issue publishes the speech that was presented in the commemoration organized in ITU this December, right after his bereavement, by of one of Arû’s earliest scholars Prof. Hande Suher. The personal memories of Suher recall the vigorous life of Arû, full of pioneering achievements both in professional and academic fields of architecture and planning.

EVENTS

“Architectural Journalism and Criticism” Seminar / Ali Cengizkan

Aga Khan Architectural Foundation and Kuwait Engineers Association together with the contributions of CICA (International Committee of Architectural Critics) and Kuwait Society of Engineers had organized a seminar on “Architectural Journalism and Criticism” in Kuwait City between 6th -7th December 2005. The topics that were subject to discussion during the meeting varied from “History, Context and Role” to “The Nature of Architectural Criticism”, “Architects and Architectural Criticism”, “Photography, Media and Journalism”. Ali Cengizkan summarizes the debates that were put forward by representatives of many architectural journals worldwide, like The Architecture Foundation, Architectural Review, Indian Architect and Builder, Architecture and Urbanism, IAI Journal, Architectural Review, L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, as well as other academic contributions.

“Flash! – Zoom! – Whaam!: Surprising Archigram in Turkey” / Gökçeçiçek Savaşır

After traveling many countries from 1994 onwards, the Archigram Exhibition finally arrived to Garanti Gallery in Istanbul and opened to public view between 22nd November and 31st December 2005. Gökçeçiçek Savaşır gives a brief summary on the effect of this avant-garde group and their work on the production of architectural practice and discourse worldwide from 60s onwards. The article also reviews the meeting that was arranged as a parallel event to the exhibition, where Mehmet Konuralp and Suha Özkan converse on the topic; “To Look at Archigram from Turkey”.

AGENDA

Mortgage System is in Turkey now / Fatih Söyler

The initial strategy of mortgage system in providing opportunities to cover the housing needs with low rate interests and long term funding seem hardly the case of how mortgage is understood in Turkey. The exemplar big scale housing projects glittered in fancy architectural illustrations look as if the lower class cannot get any profit from this system. Fatih Söyler points out to the visible (and invisible) advantages and disadvantages of how mortgage system has started to be employed in Turkey.

FILE : AFTER THE ARCHITECTURE AND EDUCATION ASSEMBLY

/ Editor: H. Bülend Tuna

After an intensive preparation period, the 3rd Architecture and Education Assembly was finally carried out in Istanbul this December as the last major event of 2005. Over 300 people consisting of many students, architects, academics and representatives from many chapters of Chamber of Architects have attended to the 3 day event. Each session focused on a different topic related with contemporary issues in architecture and education. The file, instead of summarizing the issues presented in each session, tries to create a review through personal experiences of writers who have participated directly or indirectly to the development of the meeting. Bülend Tuna gives an introductory summary of the Assembly and the intentions of the Chamber of Architects while organizing such a meeting.

Hülya Turgut emphasizes the significant issues of architectural education like the length and quality of architectural education, new formations in the graduate programs and new foundation universities, which were also the issues of the session; ‘Undergraduate and Graduate Studies in Architecture’ together with her own opinions. Alper Ünlü on the other hand commented on the session, which focused on ‘Specialization in Architecture’. His article indicates two levels in specialization, first a university level and second a professional level. He further investigates the possible affects of emerging fields upon the structure of the university and the architectural office. The session, ‘Accreditation and Self-evaluation in Architecture’ is summarised by Ayla Atasoy, where she questioned possible strategies for a national independent accreditation system (MIAK), which can work in association with the Chamber of Architects as well as with other institutions to provide an equal quality to architectural schools countywide. Timur Kaprol reviews the session which focused on ‘Continuous Professional Development’ and benefits of ‘Continuous Professional Development Centre’ founded by the Chamber of Architects in acting as a platform for following the recent developments in built environment and building technologies. Kubilay Önal’s article on the other hand questions the possible strategies that can be formulated towards the changing political effects of EU and ACE programs on architecture, parallel to the discussions carried out at the session of ‘Professional Practice Under the Effect of EU and GATS Processes’. Other reviews present the outcomes of sessions such as; ‘Professional Training and Practice, ‘Legal Procedures of the Architectural Profession’ and ‘Architectural Policy of Turkey’. In ‘Professional Training and Practice’ the future control, surveillance and documentation of the architectural profession and praxis in face of the changing regulations declared by the Higher Education Institution (YOK) is discussed. The very need for legal arrangements was thus emphasised through discussing the possibilities of the architectural law and how it can be regulated within the Chamber of Architects in the session dedicated to ‘Legal Procedures of the Architectural Profession’. Finally the session; ‘Architectural Policy of Turkey’, gave a brief tour of certain eras in Turkey and the political strategies that are identified with each era, from 1950s onwards, while summarising the possible strategies and political decisions that should be engendered regarding the historical heritage of Turkey.

COMPETITIONS

Konyaaltı Municipality, Public Square Urban Design Ideas Competition

The competition, which sought ideas for big scale proposals in favor of an urban field in Konyaaltı – Antalya, has announced the awarded projects. Among 21 proposals submitted to the competition, 3 awards and 3 mentions are given to chosen projects. The first prize was given to the project of Kerim Yaman, Habibe Aduş, Nalan Aygül and Hüseyin Gür for the organic harmony that is created between the landscape and the surrounding urban functions.

Re-arrangement of Antalya City Centre East Station and Public Bazaar Design Competition

Organized by Municipality of Antalya, the competition aims to achieve urban projects that will rejuvenate the old bazaar situated in the east side of the city centre as well as restoring its previous activities in a contemporary manner. According to the results announced in early August of 2005, 3 awards and 5 mentions are given to selected projects. This issue includes the winning project by Ozan Erkal and Emre Erkal.

Istanbul Maritime Museum Design Competition

In order to provide a unique homage for exhibiting the rare collection of Emperors’ boats, the competition sought for projects which can present specific physical qualities and perceptibility together with optimum contemporary and economic solutions for a museum building. Organized by Turkish Naval Forces Command, the competition aimed to achieve a space of historical and cultural value for Turkish naval history. The jury chose 3 awards and 5 mentions, where the first prize was given to the project interpreting the form of historical galley around an open air gallery proposed by Mehmet Kütükçüoğlu, Haşim Ertuğ Uçar and Hande Köksal. The jury commented positively about the integration of open and closed space together with the overall positioning of the exhibition space. The second prize was given to the project of Cem İlhan, Tülin Hadi and the third prize was given to the project of Dilek Topuz Derman, Fırat Gülmez and Cihan Sinan Bostancı.

Turkish Central Bank, Bursa Branch Administration Block and Housing Unit Design Competition

Organized by the Turkish Central Bank the competition aims to achieve project proposals for an administrative block, consisting of a main office building and an employee housing unit, for the Bursa branch of the bank. The criterion of judgment was based on the most efficient organization of space for bank facilities, where the first prize was given to the project of Emine Didem Durakbaşa. The project, which was designed to combine the complex inner arrangement of bank facilities under a uniform structure in order to achieve a rather organized overall composition, was found as a positive quality by the jury. The inner space qualities as well as plain façade formulations are other points that are appreciated. The second prize was given to the design proposal of İlhami Kurt and the third one for Yavuz Selim Sepin. The jury also awarded 5 mentions.

URBAN PLANNING

Crime and Space: Ideas on Representation of Crime / Gülsen Yılmaz

It is a necessity to generate new understandings for novel concepts and formations in order to comprehend, regulate and direct the ongoing transformations within the community. The concept of ‘crime’ and its spatial representation, a popular topic of present times, becomes an important issue for urban planning in redefining the role and the field of the planner within these circumstances. It seems that the issue of ‘crime’ within the urban should be reconsidered accurately and thoroughly in order to “get away from spatial disparities and to be able to create safe urban spaces providing high standards of life quality”. The writer emphasizes the effect and power of urban interventions and strategies in preventing crime within cities.

BOOK REVIEW

On 20th Century Turkish Architecture / Günkut Akın

Chamber of Architects has been working on a series of compilations covering 20th century Turkish architecture, which has always been a void in architectural literature. The first edition of the compilation, published in English during the 22nd World Architecture Congress has brought together two books, the one edited by Renata Holod, Ahmet Evin, Suha Özkan and the other by Tansel Korkmaz. The prior, Modern Turkish Architecture, covering the era between1900-1980 was first published in 1984 after a seminar in Pennsylvania University. Setting its subject to the period after 1980, the latter publication was Architecture in Turkey Around 2000: Issues in Discourse and Practice including genuine works and contemporary issues. A few months prior to the release of the Turkish version of the compilation, Günkut Akın provides a review on the issues covered within these two subsequent books in his article.

MEA ARCHITECTURA MEA CULPA

The Most Ornamented Building of the World / Günhan Tümer

On the one hand there are some, stating that ornament is a crime, like Adolf Loos and his Steiner House. On the other, there are the ones who state that architecture cannot give up ornament, and architecture is nothing but ornament, like John Ruskin. San Marco Church in Venice – one of Ruskin’s favorite – had been reported by Mc Carty as an entertainment park or a pavilion than a place for worship. There is also the palace which was ordered by the Iranian monarch Sultan Ebû İshak to the architect Emir Celâleddin İbnü’l- Feleki Tevrîzî. According to the writings of the famous Arabian traveler İbn Battûta, for the construction of this building there were baskets for carrying away the soil, made of animal leather and covered with silk, silver axes for digging and workers dressed in their best outfits. One wonders if the construction period was as ornamented as this, what the final building would be like.