1st National Architecture Movement
Nationalism trend which developed as a consequence of Second Constitutional Era in the late Ottoman brought about new research in architecture. This new search led a period of architecture as an Ottoman - Islam synthesis in the 19th century and early 20th century. Under the leadership of Mimar Kemalettin and Vedat Bey, neoclassical period of Turkish architecture, so-called National Architecture Renaissance, has developed. This new form of architecture which was called as 1st National Architecture Movement during and after 1970s grew as a new architecture which embraced Ottoman Architecture.
In this period, the purpose was the creation of Turkish national style via revival of classical Turkish Architecture. The period can also be regarded as the consequence of becoming aware of nationality. With this movement which comprises of national facts, it is tried to apply elements derived from old religious buildings such as wide eaves, domes, pointed arches, pillars, overhangs, triangular stalactite-like capitals (mukarnas) and tiled facing etc. into civil architecture. The trend had influences mostly on public buildings rather than the residential buildings.
As pioneers of the new style, Mimar Kemalettin and Vedat Bey tried hard to release the influences of foreign and chose local styles. The concept of Turkish nationhood was the key factor keeping this style alive during the first years of the Republic. Reforms made in every field had also included the field of architecture, which attempted to create a new kind of architecture which, in place of the Islamic-Ottoman features used during the previous period, would this time use details from Seljuk-Ottoman architecture.
Though professionals regard 1st National Architecture Movement as far from being fit to technological developments and meet the requirements of the era, the buildings of the period are still open to service.
| BUILDING | ARCHITECT |
| The Vakıf Han in Bostancı | Mimar Kemalettin |
| Bebek Mosque | Mimar Kemalettin |
| Kemer Hatun Mosque in Tarlabaşı | Mimar Kemalettin |
| The tomb of Mehmet Vth | Mimar Kemalettin |
| The tomb of Mahmut Şevket Paşa at Hürriyet Tepesi in Şişli | Mimar Kemalettin |
| Tayyare Apartment Building in Laleli (today the Merit Antik Hotel) in Istanbul | Mimar Kemalettin |
| The Station Complex in Ankara | Mimar Kemalettin |
| The Gazi Teachers’ Institute (Gazi Terbiye Enstitüsü) in Ankara | Mimar Kemalettin |
| Grand Post-Office Building in Sirkeci | Vedat (Tek) Bey |
| (Today’s) Maritime Administration Building in Karaköy | Vedat (Tek) Bey |
| His own house in Nişantaşı | Vedat (Tek) Bey |
| The Boat Station in Haydarpaşa | Vedat (Tek) Bey |
| Ankara Palas | Vedat (Tek) Bey – Mimar Kemalettin |
| Ankara Türk Ocagi (today the National Museum of Art and Sculpture) | Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu |
| Ethnographical Museum in Ankara | Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu |
| | Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu |
| | Giulio Mongeri |
| | Giulio Mongeri |
| Iş Bank in Ankara | Giulio Mongeri |
| | Giulio Mongeri |
Foreign Architects of the Young Republic
As the new Republic was progressing, the need for new buildings has increased in Ankara, the new capital. When it is understood that the number of architects in Turkey was not enough to meet these needs, domination of foreign architects has gained importance after 1927. Need for teachers, consultants, planers and implementers was so crucial that Turkey demanded some architects such as Clemens Holzmeister, Ernst Egli, Theodor Jost, Hermann Jansen, Martin Wagner, Martin Elsaesser, Bruno Taut, and R. Oerley to work in the country. As a consequence of their time spent in Turkey, they influenced the architecture of the Republic via their own personal leanings. Symmetric design, refined decoration, symmetric facades with plain lines, a rhythmic arrangement of windows, flat or concealed curved roofs, monumental staircases, pillared entrances or pillars rising several storeys up the fronts of buildings are some fundamental characteristic features of this period which can mainly be regarded as a the Viennese school of European architecture with its monumental traditional form of neo-classicism. This style was imported and became the dominant influence on Turkish architecture.
| BUILDING | ARCHITECT |
| The Ministry of Defense in Ankara | Clemens Holzmeister |
| | Clemens Holzmeister |
| The Officers' Club | Clemens Holzmeister |
| The War School | Clemens Holzmeister |
| | Clemens Holzmeister |
| | Clemens Holzmeister |
| The Austrian Embassy | Clemens Holzmeister |
| The Grand National Assembly | Clemens Holzmeister |
| | Theodor Jost |
| The Conservatory for Teachers of Music | Ernest Egli |
| | Ernest Egli |
| | Ernest Egli |
| | Bruno Taut |
The New Approach towards the Contemporary Movements
The movement in the West didn’t take long in coming to Turkey: the effects of Bauhaus and CIAM, the centre of pioneering thoughts or movements in the West, were started to be observed in Turkish architecture soon after they came into the scene. Some architects observed and investigated the contemporary international style closely in the 1930s and constructed buildings which were fundamentally under the influence of Western trends of cubism and reinforced concrete.
The total number of Turkish architects has become 150 in 1940.
| BUILDING | ARCHITECT |
| Ankara Exhibition Hall | Şevki Balmumcu |
| The Istanbul University Observatory | Arif Hikmet Holtay |
| The Sea-Pavilion at Florya | Seyfi Arkan |
| Taksim Municipal Rfefreshment Rooms | Rüknettin Güney |
| The Kadıköy People’s Institude (Halkevi) | Rüknettin Güney |
| The Yalova Thermal Hotel | Sedat Hakkı Eldem |
2nd National Architecture Movement
A trend towards a new national architecture begin in reaction to the hegemony of foreign architects (since 1927) who had attempts to keep up with the positive trends in world architecture for approximately ten years starting from 1930. The Fascist movement in Italy and the rise of National Socialism in Germany with their totalitarian ideas were the fundamental reasons behind this return to tradition in Turkish architecture. The architecture developed between 1935 and 1950 was under direct influence of the new trend, which displayed the characteristics of romanticism and aimed at creating a new national architecture. The architects of Second National aimed at finding and using traditional features in its architectural style. The separatist idea of the totalitarian regime which influenced many countries such as Russia, Germany and Italy during the period and the architects Kemalettin Bey and Vedat Bey had a major role in these nationalistic ideas and in development of this movement. However, though Kemalettin Bey and Vedat Bey were a source of new strength for the movement, the use of simple features from the domestic architecture of the past was the preference for the movement rather than the use of details from religious figures as preferred by the 1st National Architecture. The style which lasted until 1950s, ending when it was crucial to keep up with the new developments and requirements in technology, gave the importance fundamentally to symmetry, stone faced facades, and a monumental effect.
| BUILDING | ARCHITECT |
| | |
| The Turkish Pavilion | Sedad Hakkı Eldem |
| Ataturk's Mausoleum | |
| Istanbul University Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Lliterature buildings | Emin Onat, Sedad Hakkı Eldem |
| Ankara University Science Faculty | E.min Onat, Sedad Hakkı Eldem |
| The Çanakkale Victory Monument | |
| Istanbul Radio Headquarters | Ismail Utkular, Dogan Erginbas, Ömer Günay |
| Şişli Mosque | Vasfi Egeli |
| The Istanbul Courts of Justice | E.min Onat, Sedad Hakkı Eldem |
| Saraçoğlu District Model Buildings | Paul Bonatz |
The 1950s and Modernism
Modern Architecture which was spreading through Europe and the USA has influenced Turkish Architecture during the 1950s. After WWII, Turkey was turning more and more towards the West both politically and socially and this left an effect on the buildings constructed during the period which show a tendency towards rationalism. This period of Turkish Architecture is regarded as a period of universal rationalism acknowledged by foreign publications, with no consideration of technological, social, economic or environmental factors.
Architects such as Rohe, Wright, Aalto, Le Corbusier, Niemeyer and Scharoun resulted in a change in this approach from purism to organic form through their publications of their thoughts and works. These outstanding architects lead to experiments of an independent character in design and implementation and left a huge impression on the architects in Turkey. However, Turkey was still lacking in technological infrastructure, which led to an approximation with what was suitable in trends from Western sources.
| BUILDING | ARCHITECT |
| The Istanbul Municipality Headquarters | Nevzat Erol |
| | |
| Büyükada Anadolu Club | |
| Sakarya Government Building | Enis Kortan, Nişan Yaubyan |
| The Turkish Pavilion at the World Fair in Brussels | Muhlis Türkmen, Utarit Izgi, Hamdi Şensoy, Ilhan Türegün |
| The DSI Headquarters | |
| The Tekel Headquarters in Istanbul | Ilhan Tayman, Yılmaz Sanlı |
| The Kızılay-Emek skyscraper, Ankara | Enver Tokay |
1960s
Search for flexible and more fragmented forms can be regarded as the fundamental characteristic of the 60s. This search and the local requirements are united during the period.
| BUILDING | ARCHITECT |
| The Istanbul Vakıflar Hotel ( today the Ceylan Intercontinental, AHE) | Dogan Tekeli, Sami Sisa, Metin Hepgüler |
| | Dogan Tekeli, Sami Sisa, Metin Hepgüler |
| The Grand Hotel, Ankara | Marc Saugey, Yüksel Okan |
| The METU (ODTÜ ) Campus | |
| SSK Complex | Sedad Hakkı Eldem |
| The MSB Tandogan Students' Hostel, Ankara | Şevki Vanlı, Ersen Gömleksizoglu |
| The Turkish History Foundation | Turgut Cansever, Ertur Yener |
1970s up to Present
From the 80s onward, the effects of Late Modernism, Postmodernism and Deconstructivism which spread through the West in the 70s started to be observed in Turkey. Some architects studied pluralism under the influence of foreign movements such as post modernism. Rapid but uneven population development required more skilled works of architecture but though the in general due to economic and social turbulence, the solutions offered by the Turkish architects were not satisfactory. As a result of extreme rapidity of population growth and migration to cities appeared unplanned, disorganized, dense and confused urbanization. The great need for housing vs. lack of necessary economic and administrative regulations resulted in an anonymous and unauthorized for of architecture. Unorganized buildings lacking in aesthetic values and identity or character caused chaotic appearance in cities.
