Elif A. Özçelik

The Çeşme: Reconstructing Istanbul’s Fountains The Ottoman fountain was a well established public good and charitable enterprise that mediated an integral and profound relationship between people and their life source. Following a thorough examination of historical ideas around water that Turkish people have inherited, this thesis revisits the fountain to engage in civic discussion on the importance of water. Employing an interdisciplinary study of all the traditional and contemporary roles of the Ottoman fountain, the project aims to explore ways in which water infrastructure can be an active design tool that will lead towards the future development of engaging civic and public environments.

Advisor: Liat Margolis