The infrastructural transformation of space

Abstract

Space is considered as an array of geometric relations or a specific spatial formation by architecture altough it is a product of social phenomena and productive relations. Formation of space is defined as the subject of architecture, but the force or will behind the formation of space is generally underestimated. Capitalistic organization of society and the Capital itself, sees space as a tool or infrastructure which helps maximization of its profit - like every other thing: labour, means of production, production techniques, organization of labour and promotion. Capitalistic organization of society and the capital's power of transforming material conditions is not limited to people who are a part of those processes.The transformative power of capitalistic economy, also creates a spatial mobility and transformation. In this respect, space is reduced to an instrumental, quantitative value. The space is always redefined, reorganized according to the needs and changing conditions of capitalistic economy. And it can be destroyed if it's necessary, and brand new space can be created in which new relations and conditions occur. The subject of this study is to explain capitalistic production relations and organization forms which shape and reshape space and try to show how such forces transform the space and try to answer this final question: How and why architecture -as a discipline which is concentrated on space- should construct its own epistemology? Space can not be understood within old conception in modern capitalistic societies. Architecture should create new criteria for evaluating new spaces.

Özet

Kapitalist örgütlenme ve sermaye, diğer her şey gibi (emek, üretim araçları, pazarlama) mekanı da karlılığını maksimize edecek bir altyapı olarak görür. Mekan araçsallaşır niceliksel bir değere indirgenir. Mekan kapitalist ekonominin değişen koşullarına bağlı olarak her defasında yeniden tarif edilir, örgütlenir, gerekirse tümden yok edilir ve yerine yeni ilişkilerin yer alabileceği ortamlar yaratılır. Bu durum karşısında mekanı sadece uzamsal bir biçimleniş olarak tarif etmek yetersiz kalmaktadır. Mekanı etkileyen kapitalist üretim ilişkileri ve örgütlenme biçimlerinin neler olduğu, bu güçlerin mekanı nasıl dönüştürdüğü ve mimarlık disiplininin tüm bunlar karşısında kendi epistemolojisini nasıl kurması gerektiği bu çalışmanın konusudur.