It is essential to preserve the structures that can stand the test of time in a city such as Istanbul with thousands of years of history. Rather than demolishing these buildings that reveal their historic features or adopting a passive approach such as preservation, repurposing them with a brand new life will provide a myriad of social, cultural, ecological and economic opportunities.
Like everything else on earth, structures too have a lifespan. Regardless of their original purpose for construction, buildings lose their function over time due to change of users, change of location on behalf of locals, or certain change of function in cities. Rather than demolishing these buildings that reveal their historic features or adopting a passive approach such as preservation, repurposing them with a brand new life will provide a myriad of social, cultural, ecological and economic opportunities. Named “adaptive reuse,” this approach can be regarded as the rebirth of buildings that bear traces of certain periods in their cities and have an infrastructure suitable for reuse. There is a considerable stock of structures in Turkey, especially in Istanbul, that are suitable for refunctioning, and this stock comprises our culture of construction and urban memory.
THE MEMORY OF WALLS
One of the essential aspects of refunctioning is to determine the value of a structure. Some bear monumental significance while others only have value in their antiquity. Preservation is an approach that has been defined over the last century. With the second half of the twentieth century, especially through the preservation of buildings demolished during World War II and the change in construction techniques after the Industrial Revolution, we have better understood that the tradition of these old structures are just as valuable as their history and that the study of these traces make a major contribution to urban life. The most crucial point that affects design decisions while refunctioning structures is to do it in a way to preserve the historical value and spatial authenticity of structures. Think of it as “walls have memory.” It is mostly possible to trace the influence of various periods on the historical buildings of well-preserved cities. The ability to trace and study the time and purpose of these additions make these structures much more precious. In our preservation projects, we focus on creating a new language without losing the authenticity of the structure’s original architecture and a layered understanding of design with contemporary materials. The Salt Repository project in Kasımpaşa, which we carried out a decade ago, can be a proper example for refunctioning or rebirth in architecture. Originally built as a warehouse, the building was converted into an advertising agency. As part of the Beyoğlu Municipality restoration, we made certain additions, considering the layers of the historical structure, in order to adapt the original municipality building to contemporary needs. Other exemplary projects of refunctioning include the transformation of Haliç Shipyard in Kasımpaşa into a layered museum, the old Maltepe cigarette factory into Şehir University, and a derelict yet recent shopping mall into an advertising agency. There are also striking examples of rebirth in architecture from all across the globe. Renovated by the François Pinault Foundation, Bourse de Commerce in Paris and Palazzo Grassi Punta della Dogana in Venice are two successful projects. In terms of adaptive reuse, the criteria for the project’s success include suitability with contemporary use, loyalty to structure’s authenticity, and differentiation of additions from the original building through the use of contemporary techniques and materials.
"IN OUR PRESERVATION PROJECTS, WE FOCUS ON CREATING A NEW LANGUAGE WITHOUT LOSING THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE STRUCTURE’S ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURE AND A LAYERED UNDERSTANDING OF DESIGN
WITH CONTEMPORARY MATERIALS."
REBIRTH OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS
One of the earliest examples of this in Istanbul is a building block rebuilt for public housing after a fire in the district of Fatih: Tayyare and Harikzedegân Apartment Buildings. These were later converted into hotels. Similarly, Sıraevler in the district of Akaretler can be an example of rebirth. Historical structures are categorically expected to be transformed into public spaces; however, it may not always be feasible. It should not be an obligation either. Any kind of transformation bears significant value. Unless utilised, it is inevitable for a building to fall into dilapidation. Whereas a repurposed building will be saved from this threat since it will be cared for throughout its residential function. Of course, there are cases when these structures are damaged due to mistakes while providing them with a new function or renovating them; however, the biggest damage is to leave them to decay. Repurposing in architecture is directly related to sustainability as well. The general demand is to have mostly recyclable and durable construction materials; however, all these transformations also cause certain environmental burdens and damages. Meanwhile, a well-designed structure always finds a way to survive. The best examples for this would be the works of Mimar Sinan. Structures built with the right materials and the right layout continue to preserve their original function, or when there is a change of function, they allow and tolerate it in a decent way. Though it may seem financially costly at first glance, these types of structures are the smartest and most sustainable ones because they have been around for centuries. It is essential to preserve the structures that can stand the test of time in a city such as Istanbul that boasts thousands of years of history. For some structures, what matters is not their time of construction but how they have found themselves a place in urban memory. On occasion, it may be necessary to demolish and rebuild them, albeit unwillingly. We prefer to entertain this method, called reconstruction, as a last-resort option.
