Introduction General Overview

Mimarlık journal, published since 1963 by the Chamber of Architects Turkey. It is the country’s longest-running architectural journal mainly featuring news on architecture, urbanism, design and competitions. Continuity and consistency has been an important concept for the journal since the first issue, which is probably why ‘Mimarlık’ has the highest circulation in Turkey compared to other architectural journals.

Mimarlık journal, which was published as 1 issue every month in the years it started, has reduced its number frequency to 6 issues per year since 1987 and is still continuing with that sequence. The number of pages vary between 20, 30 and 70 depending on the productivity throughout the decades. The journal still has a consistent approach with the initial purposes but with a wider reader profile. It appeals to the readers from professional practice, education and academic research of the profession such as architects, students and academicians. Having 1800 readers during its first act, the magazine reaches among 25.000 members of the chamber today. Mimarlık is a prominent source in the country for staying updated about the architecture sector.

Starting from the beginning the magazine was free for the members of the chamber and covered its expenses with the advertisements received from companies related to the construction and architecture sector. Non-members are also able to buy the magazine with a reasonable price compared to its competitors. Mimarlık is published with a collaborative publication rationale, always has a welcoming approach for the writings of the chamber members and gives place in their issues.

As mentioned in an editorial, “Mimarlık has set for itself the purpose of acting as a long-term guide and an information source to those practicing and/or studying architecture.” 1 According to an editorial of Mimarlık, the journal operated in two ways: It first represented and reflected architecture and second shaped and formed architecture. Therefore, alterations in architectural tendencies could be followed through Mimarlık. The editorial committee of volunteer architects from the chamber often consist of many influential famous Turkish architects such as Dogan Hasol, Cengiz Bektas, Bulent Ozer, Abdi Guzer, Suha Ozkan.

Since the first publication, the purpose of the journal was determined to announce the voice, activities and competitions of the chamber of architects and to act as a platform for architects to express their perspectives. The topics mostly cover urbanism, education, design, structure, competitions, art. Significant worldwide projects, leading architectural approaches, informative articles and interviews, ongoing & upcoming competitions, deadlines and application procedures for national and international competitions can be reached through the magazine. The archive of magazine issues, which offers great extent of evidence among contemporary architecture in the 20th century, is easily accessed through an online platform.

1 Aslı Tuncer Madge, “Derginin Mutfagindan,” [From the Magazine’s Kitchen]. Mimarlik Dergisi, March-April, 2018

Publisher

chamber of architects of Turkey About

Mimarlık Journal which is Turkey’s longest-running architectural journal mainly featuring news on architecture, urbanism, design and competitions; published since 1963.

Director

Zafer Kocak in 1963. Levent Aksu starting from 1964 till middle of 1965. I.Hulusi Gungor from the middle of 1965 till 1966. Sedat Gurel between 1967 and middle of 1971. Maruf Onal starting from middle of 1971 till 1972.

Frequency

Montly between 1965- 72, relatively less than its regular frequency in 1963-64.

Location

Uftade Street 1/3 Elmadag Istanbul between 1963-69, Gumussuyu 69-71/7 Taksim Istanbul between 1970-72. Clients

Readers from professional practice, education and academic research of the profession such as architects, students and academicians.

Price

Price of journal has changed according to the years starting from 2.50 TL to 10 TL in Turkey and from 6 $ to 10 $ to abroad per issue. Mimarlık Journal is free for members. Subscription

Between 1963 and 1966, Mimarlık Journal had 2 types of subscription as 6 months and annual. After 1966 till 1972, there was only annual subscription.

Advertisements

Mimarlık Journal covered its expenses with the advertisements received from companies related to the construction and architecture sector.

Executives

I.Hulusi Gungor in 1963. Erol Kulaksizoglu starting from 1964 till middle of 1966. Dogan Hasol between 1965 and 1969. Onder Senyapili in 1970. Onder Kucukerman and Nihat Toydemir in 1971-72.

introduction historical overview

Early 1950s /The Marshall Plan

After World War II, by continuous spread of science and technology, American impact has started to show itself dramatically in Turkey like other countries. The act of Marshall Plan initiated the ideology of imperialism and western movements.

In 1956 urban transformation of Istanbul and massive urban demolitions started. Due to the current political regime some of the Ottoman remains in Istanbul were rapidly removed in sake of modernization.

Turkish architects were interested in belonging to the international community, and their practices were influenced by international famous architects such as Mies Van Der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier.

The period of populist modernism typically associated with the ills of rapid urbanization especially the onset of the much despised apartment boom and squatter developments. (Fig.1)

The canonic Istanbul Hilton Hotel (1952-1955) (Fig.2) designed by SOM with local collaborator Sedad Hakkı Eldem, was an important milestone which initiated the modernism movement in Turkish Architecture. The distinctly American ideal found its expression in the regular grid of the buildings famous honeycomb facade. Design of the Hilton become the paradigm of Turkey’s mid-century modernism to be repeated in other hotels, offices and cooperative apartment housing.

1960s /The Military Coup

The 1960 coup was one of the most important political acts in Turkey. An increasingly politicized and radicalized Chamber of Architects equated “Hiltonism” 2 with cultural imperialism and argued that without addressing the ills of capitalist relations and urban land speculation through political struggle. The young generation embracing the emergent socialist views turned to define the clash in terms of class conflict.

Despite the situation, in an interesting way, Turkey was productive in terms of cultural subjects and fine arts. (Fig.3) The first issue of Mimarlık was published in this decade, in 1963.

2 A prominent architect Sevki Vanli who coined the term ‘Hiltonism’ wrote in 1958:’this easy rationalist template, Cartesian honeycomb facade grid became a mainstream domestic typology to be repeated thousands of times.

Fig.1: Photograph of squatter area and comics about “loneliness of the individual city” shown in Mimarlık Journal

Fig.2: Istanbul Hilton Hotel

Fig.3: Issue 50, 1967 / cover, content, article pages

1970s /Uncontrolled Urbanization

The post war period in Turkey witnessed a rapid urbanization that widely shaped the social and political environment during the 1960s and the 1970s. The industrial revolutions in construction technologies were mainly the demanding subject. (Fig.4)

Due to the financial crisis in Chamber of Architects, problems occured about publishing of the journey.

After 1968s actions, the alteration of the political view of the Chamber of Architects affected the contents of Mimarlık. The journal had started to produce mainly political contents. Current social and urban situations at the time were reflected through cartoons and photographs in the journal.

1980s - 90s /Attitude Shifts By Editorial Changes

After the 1980 coup which was another important political act, Mimarlık paused and was getting a down-sized format. The journal had a significant communicative power between 1981 and 1989 when the number of architectural publications was limited in Turkey.

During the late 80’s, a practical approach was followed which favoured publishing about architectural production in Turkey. Cover pages with drawings and abstract designs were replaced by the ones with images of projects from Turkey. (Fig.5)

Publishing about architectural practice in Turkey became a policy and responsibility for the journal. Islamic architecture also became a widely discussed topic with the impact of the Aga Khan Architecture Awards initiated in 1980. In the 1990s there was an editorial change in the journal and the number of architectural magazines in Turkey significantly increased.

2000s /Digitalization

In the early 2000s a part of the journal content has shifted into a new context, called digitalization in architecture which started in the mid 90s with the introduction of CAD tools in architecture. Today’s digital tools and how the architecture evolved with this new understanding can be traced through the articles and interviews in the journal. (Fig.6)

After one of the most important and damaging earthquakes in Turkey, Mimarlık Journal focused on earthquake news for the following couple of years. As another damaging subject, in the mid 2000s, local and global terror attacks were hot topics. After these attacks, security of the buildings were discussed heavily in the journal.

Fig.4: Issue 109, 1972 / cover, content, article pages

Fig.5: Issue 222-223-224, 1987 / cover pages

Fig.6: Issue 300, 2001 / cover page // Issue 304, 2002 / cover and article pages

improvements // special moments // Issue 8 // Journal price has doubled.

Issue 8 // Journal used as a tool to collect identity-information from the chamber members.

Issue 9 // First time cover with a photograph instead of a color.

Issue 9 // Attitude Change publication of journal. Instead of a publication based on the articles sent to the Editorial Committee, a publication will be made according to the topics that need to be addressed. On the other hand, the relation between the idea and the exercise that will be presented from outside the country to our own problems will be meticulously, so the first step will be taken in this field to prevent a dry imitation and a false orientation.

Issue 28 // Honorary European representative is added (Mustafa Gurbuz).

Issue 28 // First time of fine arts (painting).

Issue 29 // First time a survey receipt included to collect from the subscribers.

Issue 35 // Format of content page was changed.

1964 1966

1963 Issue 1 // First time being published letter.

"Since our Publication Branch does not have a large and continuous staff like journals established for income, it will not be easy for our magazine to be published in the same wealth every month. As such, some numbers are likely to be overpaged and some numbers to be less."

Issue 5 // First time contents page and expression of publishing committee. 1965 Issue 19 // First time appearance of graphic arts in the cover and content.

Issue 21 // Call for participation and attention.

"Architecture magazine can only gain level and value to the extent of your interest. Our Editorial Committee does not find the way to publish a magazine in another direction, far from reflecting the opinion of your colleagues. Because of all this, our colleagues and members of the academic career, in the meantime, also have a large part in their duties. Mimarlik is yours, it needs your help and interest. With your help and interest, let us take it to a higher level that you deserve."

Issue 22 // First time english and french text of the content description and summary. 1967 Issue 44 // First time using colorful photograph for advertisements.

Issue 45 // Concern about the national projects that were designed in Europe.

“We export technical staffs to Europe but we import services.”

News are shown in the content page (starting from the issue 9) Annual subscription was added (starting from the issue 11)

6 months subscription was added and removed (between 11th and 42nd issues)

Issue 53 // Cover of graphic designs are highly involved as a tool to reflect the mentioned topics in the issues in a critical difficulties, page numbers decreased and

and metaphorical attitude.

Issue 61 // Layout of contents was changed. Suscriber card and request slip were added. Issue 86 // First book of Mimarlık has been

Issue 62 // Publishing committee and in content page. Issue 75 // Started to contain “Events and Echoes” section.

Issue 81, 82 // Because of the financial editorial board changed respectively.

authors were another page instead of being published.

Issue 87 // Critical and political slogans or subtitles were used in the covers. “We should hold on to our own strength and that Issue 99 // Criticism about payed education.

1968 1970 1972

1969 Issue 65 // Single issue price has increased, discount for annual subscription for students.

Issue 66 // Column for architecture students was added according to decision of Chamber of Architects.

Issue 67, 69, 72, 74 // Color of subscriber card and request slip were changed to green, foreigner architects instead of national ones.

blue, yellow, green respectively.

Issue 72 // Started to contain “From the Journal” section which is found in almost all Western journals. This section contains a letter from the authors expressing their improvements, updates and inner-thoughts in order to bond a closer, friendlier relationship between the journal and

Private schools and architectural education were main topics of the year 1971 Issue 87 // Journal price has increased.

Issue 94 // Section of “Hold on to Our Own Strength” added. Chamber was supporting the national architects to solve the dramatic economic and social issues in the country.

westernization should be taken under control.”

Issue 94 // Criticism about employing readers.

Social and political issues were adressed

Journal started to be sold to abroad (starting from the issue 48)

Section of graphic designer added (starting from the issue 52)