bahcesehir university architecture & design

international summer academy

arch.ist is a three week summer school on the architecture of Istanbul and aims to explore the rich architectural heritage of a profoundly diverse and multi-cultural city. Istanbul was and still continues to be the gravitational center of Orthodox, Christian, Balkan, Caucasian, Anatolian, and Central Asian worlds. It is the cultural capital of Europe and boasts a concordant variety of seminal buildings and provoking urban spaces.

With its “on-the-spot” teaching methods, arch.ist addresses not only the usual give and take between the built form and its natural or urban context, but also helps to understand the individual building as an integral component of the urban fabric.

 arch.ist 2009 summer school will be comprised of four units:

·         Byzantine Architecture

·         Ottoman Architecture

·         Nineteenth Century Architecture      

·         Contemporary Architecture

The lecture sessions will be conducted at Bahçeşehir University, which is located at the heart of the city, on the European side of the Bosphorus. Lectures will be followed by the site visits contextualizing the material being taught in the class. The location of the campus offers gorgeous views of the Bosphorus and the Seraglio, and provides easy access to many Ottoman Palaces, cultural centers and major exhibition centers.

arch.ist 3001 – byzantine architecture – 3 credits

In this unit students trace the transformation of a pagan settlement into a Christian megalopolis mundi. Besides a firm grounding in the architectural history of the period, the focus is on the physical remnants of these civilizations, including the Hagia Sophia, Church of Chora, the Million the Aqueduct of Valens and the recent-uncovered remains of the Great Palace. Other archeological features that the unit focuses on are the city walls, underground and open air cisterns, awe-inspiring engineering structures, imperial palaces, churches and chapels, works of art, obelisks and statues brought to the city from different areas of Roman Empire to embellish Nea Roma.

arch-ist 3002 – ottoman architecture – 3 credits

This unit begins with a trip either to Edirne or Bursa, the former capitals of Ottoman Empire. Students explore the origins of Ottoman Architecture’s basic typologies. The unit continues in Istanbul where the students can trace the development of these typologies. It is in this era that the most spectacular examples of religious and cultural centers, funerary, educational, health and residential facilities; and engineering structures of Ottoman Architecture have been built. Monumental architectural complexes by Sinan in this period, which marked the Ottoman capital, are going to be analyzed and discussed as well. The unit concludes with a study on Western influences in Ottoman Architecture.

arch-ist 3001 – nineteenth century architecture – 3 credits

This unit concentrates on the modernization of the Ottoman Empire. Modernization efforts focused first on the military, and then expanded to encompass all the aspects of daily life. Cocominant with the relocation of the Ottoman court to the Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus, construction of new numerous military barracks (kışlalar); the establishment of municipalities; introduction of new modes of transportation such as railroads, horse-drawn, subways, and ferrie; the inauguration of new institutions such as postal service and police force; and the development of new housing areas and styles as well as new building regulations. The will to Westernize and to have healthier cities prompted the ruling elite to impose a series of urban planning regulation aimed at regularizing Istanbul’s medieval urban fabric, prompting the use of masonry instead of wood, and “beautifying” the city in general. In short, the elements of modernity were injected to a traditional society. Some of the significant examples of architecture of this period are in Classical Revivalist Style located in Pera, and the works of Fossati Brothers, James Smith, Raimondo D’Aranco, Alexandre Valaury; multi-story houses; schools; military barracks; palaces; religious buildings; industrial buildings are in the scope of this unit. 

arch-ist 3001 – contemporary architecture – 3 credits

After the Turkish War of Independence, the efforts were concentrated on building up a new capital, Ankara. In the new republic, Istanbul regained importance after 1950’s. Buildings representing the First and Second National Styles; works of Turkish architects, Vedat Tek, Architect Kemalettin, Sedad Hakki Eldem, Emin Onat, Arif Hikmet Koyuncu; and the works of foreign architects Bruno Taut, SOM, and August Perret constitute the highlights of this period. Moreover, projects related to the rehabilitation of historic urban environments and the adaptive reuse of historic buildings constitute excellent case studies for discussing the emerging themes in the field of historic preservation such as the protection of minority heritage sites, prevention of gentrification, and issues of social equity.

Ahmet Eyüce, Prof. Dr.

Program Director

Dean, Faculty of Architecture and Design

B.Arch, METU

M.Arch, METU

PhD, EU 

M. Bülent Uluengin, Prof. Dr.

Chair, Department of Architecture

M.Arch, MSGSU (DGSA)

PhD, YTU

Özen Eyüce, Assoc. Prof. Dr.

B.Arch, METU

M.Arch, EU

PhD, DEU

Nihal Uluegin, Assoc. Prof. Dr.

M.Arch, MSGSU (DGSA)

PhD, MSGSU (DGSA)

Nilay Ünsal Gülmez, TA

B.Arch, METU

M.Arch, ITU

PhD, ITU

Burcu Beşlioğlu, AT

B.Arch, YTU

M.Arch, METU

Belinda Torus, TA

B.Arch, MSGSU,

M.Arch, YTU

Students will be accomodated in Bahçeşehir University student housing units. Bed & breakfast will be provided in comfortable double rooms, in close proximity to the Beşiktaş Campus. For more information on housing units:

http://yurdum.bahcesehir.edu.tr/

ArchIstPoster.pdf