A Reading on Cultural Identity in Contemporary Turkish Architecture: Interpretive Strategies in the Works of Turgut Cansever and Nevzat Sayın
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15377/2409-9821.2026.13.2Keywords:
Critical regionalism, Cultural identity in architecture, Contemporary Turkish architecture, Contextual architecture and locality.Abstract
Contemporary Turkish architecture has endeavored to shape itself in a distinctive quest for identity between universal values and local cultural identity since the founding of the Republic. Turkish architects have developed various approaches that reinterpret cultural identity to address this dilemma. This study examines the cultural and intellectual dynamics of the search for identity in Turkish architecture from the second half of the twentieth century to the twenty-first century through influential examples. The primary objective is to understand how architects have integrated cultural identity into architectural design processes and the strategies they employed. The methodological framework is Kenneth Frampton's critical regionalism discourse, as established in "Ten Points on an Architecture of Regionalism: A Provisional Polemic." Exemplary structures are analyzed through criteria determining cultural identity in architectural works. The study examines the works of Turgut Cansever and Nevzat Sayın, focusing on their approaches to translating cultural values into contemporary architectural language and their theoretical foundations. Cansever carries traditional Ottoman-Islamic heritage into modern context, while Sayın demonstrates highly context-sensitive approaches. Research findings reveal that both architects employ distinct yet complementary strategies in conveying cultural identity. Cansever grounds his approach in metaphysical understanding emphasizing organic wholeness, whereas Sayın proceeds from phenomenological sensitivity prioritizing contextual dialogue. The results demonstrate that successful integration of cultural identity emerges through balanced combination of these approaches. This study contributes by analyzing the relationship between cultural identity and contemporary architectural design within a theoretical framework, presenting a methodological foundation for future architectural design practice.
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