Architectural Strategy Development Through Evaluation of the Spatial Themes Prominent in the Formation of Istanbul's Identity from 1923 to the Present: Proposal of a Model

Abstract

The core of the study is to capture a commonality between the themes that determine the spatial character of Istanbul and to present the change in the prominent spatial themes from the foundation of the republic to the present and to propose a model for developing an architectural strategy with the help of this change. This change was shaped by spatial preferences, class differences, socio-economic and cultural variables of the period and played a major role in determining the settlement of residences, industry-education-health structures and social areas. The scope of the study consists of the works of leading figures working on the construct ion of the thematic identity of metropolises and urban history. The method of the study consists of literature research that will make these studies and the effective links between them visible, and a data analysis that will provide a breakdown of prominent themes, based on twenty-year periods, and aiming to present the relationships between related thematic words. The findings of the study show that industrialization, housing supply and demand, squatting, socio-cultural life, urban population planning, interaction areas, imported designs and approaches have both an autonomous and interrelated place in the construction of Istanbul's hybrid urban identity. Separate thematic areas such as industrialization and housing trigger processes that directly affect each other's development. As a result, it is seen that the breaking processes of the transformation of the prominent spatial themes in Istanbul offer some forms of association that can provide references for future design products. Sharing comprehensive inferences about these processes with institutions for development and diversification will play an active role in developing new themes that can contribute to Istanbul's urban identity and increasing the agility of relating the current urban identity with contemporary possibilities.