Research & Artistic Practices 3132 – Architectural Problematic James Ho – Stud 5459 Afdeling. 2, KADK Royal Danish Academy, School of Architecture
Can conurbation be harnessed as an urban construct to revitalise derelict industrial sites. The industrial revolution was an imperatively influential moment for the evolution of cities. This is now less apparent today, as this evidence becomes an ephemeral moment in a city’s history. This decline is due to the technological advancement that rapidly took us into the contemporary age we currently live in. As a result this left behind structures and sites that hold and tell the stories of the past (See image 1.01a/b & 1.02a/b). Zones which now occupy prime central locations of our metropolitan areas, some even considered by certain critics as dismal hazards to the urban image and its economy. Changes in industrialisation made industrial patterns evident as they are often materialised in most urban landscapes and this was especially true for Istanbul. A city manifested by the outward migration of factories from their original central city domains. (See image 1.02a & 1.01a) Due to Istanbul’s vast growth in size and population the topography of Turkey’s largest city is submitted to a ubiquitous phenomena know as conurbation (See image 1.03). The city is constantly adapting, moulding itself and persistently transforming as it does so (See image 1.05). The city is known for its relentless transformation over time and for the industrial efforts actualised throughout it’s past, making Istanbul a prime area for such a study. An excellent urban location to test such a theory; can conurbation be harnessed as an urban construct to revitalise derelict industrial sites. Conurbation; |ˌkänərˈbāSHən| (See image 1.03 & 1.05) noun an extended urban area, typically consisting of several towns merging with the suburbs of one or more cities. To put the following to the test: architecture and its urban context, the revitalisation of industrial sites and the phenomenon of conurbation, all as a well formulated architectural syntax for the solution of contemporary urban complications. The suggestion of reusing derelict industrial sites within cities is not a new concept and has been a topic for discussion far and wide. If applied these sites would provide favourable opportunities and benefit the city’s economy, opposed to the cumulative problems they may trigger as idle enclaves of the city. The material has been exhausted and the argument seems to always lie on the generalisation of - the renewal strategy. Under the assumption that, all industrial sites can be classed under the similar nature of, dangerous and volatile spaces, implying they would all look alike. I will actuate this study by locating the most prominent industrial sites (See image 1.04) of Istanbul in relation to its building context, urban fabric and their position with regards to the cities territory. This framework will set forth criteria for the derelict industrial sites, with the intention of bringing to light the juxtaposition of, the industrial site and it’s city. My initial approach was to harness the materialising force of conurbation to create desired urban typologies, rather than an arbitrary construct formed as a by-product of an ungoverned urban phenomenon (See image 1.08 & 1.09). However I have rationalised that the laws that govern such
a happening are evidently uncontrollable and so, I have decided to first apply a construct that is formulated independently (See image 1.06), before conurbation becomes tangible on site and exacerbates the area. (See image 1.07) The intention of this is to use conurbation as the driving force to apply a selected structural logic through the use of the inevitable force of Istanbul’s urban phenomena, to ultimately revive industrial sites. (See image 1.04 & 1.07) As a result of this phenomenon, the architectural urban typology of Istanbul’s future image is being affected. Considering Istanbul’s past city monuments, they are now camouflaged or becoming a hybrid of the new urban typology, an example of this are the Hans of Istanbul (See image 1.09 & 1.08), former dwellings for the traders of goods to and from the city. These Hans now purely serve the needs of the city’s contemporary progression and growth as it transforms from an industrial city, to a city globalizing and capitalizing its territory into urbanized land (See images 1.05). With a remaining forty-three industrial sites from the former two hundred and fifty six that used to occupy the city, it is acknowledged that the industrial heritage of Istanbul is gradually withdrawing from the city’s landscape (See images 1.04). “…buildings and machinery, workshops, factories and goods produced are all parts of the industrial heritage. It is important to identify, record and protect industrial heritage for the benefit of future generations”. Ruşen Aktaş, Ex· Change – Industrial architectural heritage developing awareness and visibility. The disappearing industrial sites, result in the loss of the city’s heritage; architectural structures and technical qualities that can be considered as the foundations of today’s´ affluent city of Istanbul. Therefore this heritage should become part of the city’s contemporary structure, reminiscent of it’s past purpose. I intend to do this through the application of a former construct extrapolated from the cities past manufacturing typology i.e. the passage of Büyük Valide Han, 1684, (See images 1.06 & 1.09 ) and apply it to an industrial site located on the outskirts of the city’s boundary. The Yedikule Gazhanesi (Yedikule Gas-metre, see image 1.01a & 1.01b), which will eventually become part of the urban fabric as the urban and rural coalesce, as conurbation progresses in the area (See image 1.07) In this way I can ensure the existence of the city’s heritage wile simultaneously providing a structure that will restrain and guide the phenomenon of conurbation. I will do this through the physical construct of the Han´s typology, which will navigate the course of this now disciplined urban effect on derelict industrial sites and on them, construct a physical response that both celebrates the industrial heritage of Istanbul’s city and catalyses the process to construct with purpose. Conurbation, over population and exponential growth are all words used to depict the modern city of today, especially for current developing countries. Istanbul’s architectural trend is one that can be juxtaposed with other developing cities of today’s massively growing urban territories, all under duress from conurbation. Hinting at the possibility of the application of such approach to other problematic urban sites.
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Original image - Ex¡ Change – Industrial architetural heritage developing awareness and visibility
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Industrial Site
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Industrial Site location, image 1.01a & 1.01b
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Extracted Han structural typology From image 1.06
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Red : Contemporary structure
Yellow: Original construct
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1651
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Earthquake 1894
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Dark colours show the growth of the new structure as it adheres to the original Han construct
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Red: Passage structure
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Bibliography Doxiadis, Constantinos A. Ekistics: An introduction to the science of human settlements. London, Hutchinson & CO Ltd, 1968. DeLanda, Manuel. A new society to philosophy: Assemblage Theory and Social Complexity. London: Typeset by BookEns Ltd, Royston, Herts, 2006 Nielsen, Tom. Albertsen, Niels & Hemmersam, Peter. Urban Mutation: Periodization, Scale & Mobity. Denmark: Arkitektskolens Forlag, 2004. Forty, Adrian. Words & Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2000. Caves, W. Roger. Encyclopedia of the City. Oxon, U.K: Taylor & Francis Group, 2005
Articles Ruşen, Aktaş. “Ex · Change, Industrial Architectural Heritage Developing Awareness and Visibility”