Iconic Buildings Constructed with Competition Projects in Turkey in The 20th Century

Abstract

Iconic buildings, which stand out among the architectural elements that are part of the city identity, expressing the uniqueness and character of cities, are the buildings that integrate with cities, come to mind first when defining them, and carry symbolic value. These buildings can be historical and cultural heritage buildings constructed centuries ago, or they can be buildings constructed according to the functions, technologies and architectural styles that emerged, developed and changed with the 20th century. Architectural project competitions organized open to national and international competitors have become a frequently preferred method in constructing these buildings. Within the scope of the study, the iconic buildings built as a result of architectural project competitions, which emerged as a local dynamic in Turkey's 20th century architecture, are analyzed. From among the competition projects built between 1930 and 2000, with a subjective perspective, the most well-known buildings that have gained a place in the city memory, as an architectural icon in defining the city, have been selected and analyzed in terms of their architectural characteristics and the symbolic values they add to the city. In addition to the fact that these buildings were designed by a well-known architect, their architectural characteristics, functions, social, political and symbolic values they carry and their location in the city have turned them into iconic buildings for the city.