FROM THE WORLD OF ARCHITECTURE

On Urban Transformation Projects of İstanbul

Even though it has been a time since the winning projects of the invited competitions for the planning and transformation of two significant urban regions of İstanbul had been announced, the discussions around the issue still prolong. The summary delineates the recent arguments on the projects of Zaha Hadid Group for Kartal-Pendik region and of Ken Yeang Group for Küçükçekmece-Avcılar.

AWARDS

2006 Pritzker Prize Winner da Rocha / Edited by: A. Derin İnan

Paulo Mendes da Rocha has been chosen as this year’s laureate for the most prestigious award in architecture, The Pritzker Architecture Prize. The second architect from Brazil, after Niemeyer to get the prize, had accepted the award in the formal ceremony, which was held in one of İstanbul’s historical places, the Dolmabahçe Palace, in 30th May 2006. Mendes da Rocha, who is widely regarded as an outstanding architect of Brazil, was famous for being an expert in using simple materials to create complex structural details with a poetical understanding of space. The report provides a summary of the jury comments on the architecture of da Rocha as well as a selection of his outstanding projects.

AGENDA

İstanbul: The Capital of Empires & 2010 European Capital of Culture / Deniz İncedayı

Since 1985, when the idea was first proposed and later realised by the Greek Ministry of Culture in Athens, the European Capital of Culture (ECC) project has been carried out in many European cities. After 2000, the project has widened its territories and started to accept applications also from the EU candidate countries and İstanbul, the capital of many cultures and empires got the chance to be included into the project. Deniz İncedayı summarises the long term benefits that can be achieved from strategies and projects that can be proposed and realised during the year. She further directs attention to the potentials İstanbul can provide in representing itself on an international platform.

CHAMBER BUILDINGS

The Significance of Representative Chamber Buildings in the Field of Conservation: Gaziantep Representative Office Building / Mustafa Korumaz

The general tendency of the representative buildings of the Chamber is towards evaluating the existing historical buildings within their region. A significant case of this revitalization progress is the Social, Cultural and Educative building of the Gaziantep representative. What is tried to be achieved by opening the old building into use is twofold. On the one hand it aims to re-place the building back into the daily life of the city. On the other hand by assigning new functions, such as teaching and practice of local masonry, handcrafts within the building, the forgotten traditions are tried to be resurrected. The case is a significant example, presenting the discourse performed by the Chamber towards conservation and its actual application.

FILE:

10th Cycle of Turkish Architecture Awards and Exhibition 2006

In commemoration of Mimar Sinan, the Chamber of Architects of Turkey organizes National Architecture Awards and Exhibition in every two years since 1988. Being a pioneer institutional attempt in generating contemporary agendas for architectural profession and architectural culture, the program tries to introduce, promote, document and encourage architectural practices nationwide. This year’s event has taken place with crowded attendance of 202 projects. Among the projects submitted, the jury had selected the winners of this year, who were announced and given their awards in a ceremony that took place in National Library, Ankara, in early April this year, along with the formal opening of the exhibition. The projects were evaluated mainly in two categories, the Grand Award (Sinan Award) and the Achievement Awards. The latter are categorized under five themes, namely; Awards in “Contribution to Architecture” Category, “Building” Category, “Preservation–Revitalization” Category, “Environment” Category and “Presentation of Ideas” Category. Added to these, there was also a Commemoration Award that foresees the promotion of the works of a late architect, whose work had put a milestone in Turkish architectural milieu. This year’s selection committee, consisting of Günkut Akın, Cengiz Kabaoğlu, Hüseyin Kahvecioğlu, Mehmet Konuralp and Yıldırım Yavuz have decided to choose Mimar Kemalettin Bey for the Commemoration Programme and to give the “Grand Award” (Sinan Award) to Hamdi Şensoy. Ayla Ödekan and Selahattin Yazıcı were the two names chosen for the “Contribution to Architecture Award”. In the Building Category; Serhan Akbay with The Architect’s Office, Boğaçhan Dündaralp with NP12 Houses, Boran Ekinci and Hakan Dalokay with Mecidiyeköy Housing Block and Tülin Hadi, Cem İlhan and Zeynep Ataş with ODTÜ Northern Cyprus Campus Administrative Office and Library Buildings were selected. Preservation – Revitalisation Award went to the restoration project of Macunağası İzzet Efendi Mansion in Safranbolu by İbrahim Canbulat and the restoration project of the Historical Konjic Bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina by General Directorate of Highways. Both Küçükyalı Archeology Park project by Atölye Mimarlık and Gebze Historical City Centre Urban Planning project by Korhan Torcu and Ali Akarsu have chosen for the award in the Environment Category. In the final category, Presentation of Ideas, Ahmet Korfalı with K2 Main Camp and Yamaç Korfalı with Pusu 1, have taken the award. The file also includes the subsequent remarks of the two jury members, Yıldırım Yavuz and Hüseyin Kahvecioğlu. The article of Yıldırım Yavuz while summarising the entire agenda of the awards by going through the concepts underlying in each category, also comments on the works that were selected for each award. He further emphasizes the significance of the future events that are apt to take place as an outcome of the Commemoration Award, which was recently added as a new category. Hüseyin Kahvecioğlu, on the other hand draws attention to the current overflow, which leads to various transformations within the architectural milieu and the importance of having a strong and effective foundation for the practice of architecture within this condition. He also argues the dominance of professional obligations, which at certain points obstruct young and innovative architectural ideas to emerge. The role of the exhibition, followed by the publication of catalogue in that sense, provides a significant historical archive for the practice of architecture as well as an inspiring source for the students stepping into the professional life of architecture.

PRESERVATION-REVITALISATION

An Informative Note on the Restoration of Mektepçiler House (Safranbolu Medresesi?) / İbrahim Canbulat

It turned out to be that the Mektepçiler House, which was purchased by Turkish Ministry of Culture in 2000, and bestowed to the charge of Safranbolu head office, was in fact the Safranbolu Medresesi, which dates back to 1786-7. Canbulat, who has won “Preservation–Revitalization” Award in the 10th cycle of Turkish Architecture Award by the restoration of Macunağa Mansion in Safranbolu, writes about the improper restoration that Mektepçiler House (Safranbolu Medresesi) had suffered in April 2006.

COMPETITION

Manisa Municipality Office Building, Commercial Centre Architecture and Urban Design Competition

The Municipality of Manisa has organised a competition for its new office building, which will act as a cultural centre with the proper arrangement of its surrounding. In this context the competition aimed to achieve proposals for the office building and its environs, where cultural indoor and outdoor events such as, exhibitions, theatres, concerts as well as shopping activities can take place. Among 52 proposals submitted to the competition the jury awarded 3 prizes and 5 mentions. The first prize was given to the project of Evren Başbuğ, İnanç Eray, Ceyhun Baskın, Özcan Kaygısız. The jury reported positively on the general approach of the project, in its try to create a social forum by the spatial association of green and build space. The potential the project carries for realization was another point commented by the jury as promising and intriguing. The project of Cem Açıkkol and Kaan Özer was awarded the second prize, where the third award was given to Servet Gümüş and Günay Solak.

İzmir Konak Municipality Uzundere Recreational Valley Design Competition

Organised by the İzmir Konak Municipality, the competition aimed to achieve a recreational centre that can provide vital leisure and amusement facilities for use of the entire city and its inhabitants. It was also essential for the competition to create a spatial organisation that can merge the city with its outskirts in harmony. Among 14 projects submitted to the competition, the jury has awarded 3 prizes and 5 mentions. The first prize was given to the proposal of Kemal Özgür, Oğuz Ayoğlu and Mustafa Şahin for its quality in integrating with the existing city. The jury also acknowledged the spatial qualities of proposed landscape and the functional diversity that responds to the needs of various citizens regardless of age. The second prize was given to the project of Murat Bektaş , Buğra Gökçe, Ahmet Özer Karaaslan and the third to Bilgen Boyacıoğlu, Cem Muyan, Yenal Akgün.

RETROSPECTIVE

A Forgotten Architect: Can Egeli / Doğan Tuna

Architects, who has produced worthy projects, yet were left behind the main stage or preferred to stay there, are usually the subjects of the retrospective part of our magazine. Can Egeli is one of them. Graduated from İTU in 1952, he is the artist of Mimar Sinan Sculpture in Taşkışla Campus. The effect of his work can still be perceived in Tire, İzmir, where he worked in the municipality for few years. Egeli also practiced architecture in İzmir and later in Mainz, Germany. Holding many awards from international and national competitions, he also had chances to realize some. His friend and colleague Doğan Tuna reveals the life of the architect through his personal experiences.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

From Antiquity to Modern Architecture: A Formal Analysis on Parliament Buildings / Ali Kazım Öz

Recently one can observe a change in the symbolic function of parliament buildings by means of how they adapt the latest technologies and represent the democratic vision of the society. The example of Scotland, who has been dreaming of a total independence for many years, and finally winning the 2005 RIBA Stirling Prize with their new parliament building, show that the conception inherited from antiquity, which indicates parliament buildings as “protective shells of democracy”, is still preserved. The author puts forward an analysis on the parliament buildings, which belong to past as well as to future through the relationship of architecture and politics, aspiring from the statement that the values of both always coincide and that they always share the same irresistible charm of power.

MEA ARCHITECTURA MEA CULPA

Carrying the Buildings over the Head / Gürhan Tümer

People give more emphasis on certain things in their life. As the saying goes ‘They carry those things over their heads’. But, what about the people who carry buildings over their heads?