Tracing the 20th Century Beyond the City Wall: Modern Housing
Location: Bakırköy, Istanbul
Facilitators: Şeyda Şen, Cem Dedekargınoğlu
Organizer:DOCOMOMO_Turkey
Language:Turkish
Date / Time: October 6, 14:00-18:00
In this city route, guided by DOCOMOMO_Turkey, participants will trace the footsteps of 20th-century modern housing and visit Veliefendi Workers' Blocks, Ataköy Mass Housing, and Florya Atatürk Sea Pavilion.
1. Veliefendi Workers Housing Blocks:Veliefendi Workers Housing Blocks should be considered as a part of "affordable housing" policies adopted for the working class. In this context, it is thought to have been designed by Seyfi Arkan between 1955-56, upon the request of the Housing Directorate. However, the drawings in the Zeytinburnu Municipal Archives belong to İrfan Ertem from Cooperatives Architecture Office. The project was completed in 1963 through the Workers' Building Cooperative, one of the few building cooperative organizations financially supported by the Workers' Insurance Institution.
2. Ataköy Housing Complex:The history of the Ataköy Project began when T. Emlak Kredi Bank purchased the 375ha Baruthane (historic gunpowder production) area in 1955; this is not only a long story which awaits its conclusion with the last phase still in construction but also a concrete example reflecting the changes in building development and housing policies of Turkey in the last 50 years. The large site between Bakırköy and Atatürk Airport along the Marmara coast is located on the western development corridor of Istanbul, considered of strategic importance for controlling the growth of the settlement areas in the urban plans of the 1950s. Although often criticized for its economic, social and architectural aspects in changing political environment of the 1960s, the project is still distinguished with its reinterpretation the postwar late modern tendencies in the architecture of Turkey, especially for its total design and planning approach, interior and exterior spatial quality, the choice of materials and the quality of construction. Galleria Shopping Center (1987-88) along the Sirkeci-Florya shore drive is the first mall constructed in Turkey. The commercial building defined as “a modern interpretation of the traditional covered bazaar typology” by the architect has a built area of 80,000 m2 and about 100 retail units and consists of diagonal blocks connected to a 2- storey rectangular main block with a central atrium. The simple but dynamic architectural vocabulary reflecting late modern tendencies of the period have been partially altered as a result of a recent renovation of the main façade and entrances.
3. Presidential Sea Pavilion:Seyfi Arkan, 1935-36. The design was based on the health-care requirements and personal preferences of Mustafa Kemal and the timber construction was completed within 48 days. The main building raised on piles in the sea, reaches the mainland via a footbridge and consists of two wings connected in an L-form. The wing perpendicular to the shore contains the services while the other one parallel to the shore houses the living quarters. Guestrooms, lodgings and other service spaces are located on the shore. This is one of the iconic works of the Modern Movement in the architecture of Turkey not only with its total design approach and original solutions but also due to the interest and criticism it aroused at the time. Minor interventions have not altered its definitive character and some of its original furniture have been preserved.
Notes:
The tour will commence in front of the Istanbul Congress Center.
All participants are required to be present in the area by 13:30 with their tour tickets.
Shuttles will be available to transport participants to the starting point of the route.