Sule Gazioglu

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

MA Project - Restricted Access (SIA Only)

Project Type

MA Project - Curatorial Proposal

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art Business

First Advisor

Agnes Berecz

Second Advisor

Hongzheng Han

Abstract

The Turkish House has been an inspiration for many architects throughout the history. The Swiss Architect Corbusier had visited Istanbul (then known as Constantinople) as a young traveler when he was only 21 years old. He was very much taken by the beauty of the city and he saw ideal architectural features, such as comfort, functionality, the use of natural light and flow in the Turkish house. For him the Turkish house captured the ideal balance of nature and human life. Use of space and scale opened a new window to Corbusier which was reflected in his works (Turkish interiors combine large and small scales) and by his own testimony this voyage to the East has changed his architectural approach significantly. Many of his works carried the traces of his journey through Istanbul (Constantinople) and the Balkans, with-in Ottoman territories, under Turkic influence. When one notices that Corbusier has been one of the pioneers of modern architecture in the Western hemisphere, one realizes that to this date not many architects/interior designers has thought about the Turkish house in this context. This has been omitted and forgotten, in today’s narration, Turkish or Ottoman features for the most part belong to an overly oriental narration, to the extent it becomes almost caricaturized. This caricaturized approach has sold, but it does not encapsulate the soul of Ottoman and Turkish architecture. There is opportunity to view Turkish architecture from a fresh perspective, still carrying the main features and the Ottomania vibe, not as maximalist and/or dandyish, but with a more contemporary touch, yielding wider use in residential and commercial space, bringing a novelty to the design world.

Download

Share

COinS