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| The 22nd UIA World Architecture Congress. |
Architecture can be described as, in essence, the art of designing the spaces in which we live and which we share with others. In July, Istanbul hosted the 22nd UIA World Architecture Congress, whose theme was Cities: Grand Bazaar of Architectures. The event was attended by 7500 professionals and 800 written statements were issued. Keynote speeches were given by 28 stars of the architectural world. We spoke to architect Cengiz Bektas, who gave the opening speech, about the congress and Istanbul.
Bazaar
We began by asking Bektaş his overall opinion of the congress. ''This congress will have an impact on all future UIA congresses. A number of architects took the 'bazaar' theme too literally and saw it as an arena to sell their products... It served as a reminder of their true responsibilities.'' Both as an architect and a person, Bektaş is in enamoured by Istanbul, and we asked him if the congress had tackled some of the city's problems. ''People expected the architects to wave a magic wand and solve Istanbul's problems. All the architects who came expressed an interest in tackling its issues, but solely on a paid, professional level, so we didn't accomplish a great deal.''
A 2700-year-old silhouette
One of the subjects discussed at the congress was whether Istanbul had an all-encompassing symbol and what that could be. Bektas: ''Only someone who had never been to Istanbul could say that it doesn't have a symbol. It is the only city in the world that has always respected different religions, languages, races and cultures. The Ottomans knew how to build on the successes of the past. The result is Istanbul's unique silhouette, or skyline. Indeed, since the early 19th century, everyone including Le Corbusier has said, 'If you want to see a proper silhouette, go to Istanbul'.''
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| The Galata Tower |
A ''hot'' topic
We asked Bektas whether he was correct in predicting that the congress would serve as an arena to discuss the difference between the architecture of consumer societies and that of Turkish society. ''Yes, it did yield results, but only for those who wanted to see them. We discovered that architecture in consumer societies deals with trying to humanise spaces. In contrast, the congress was held in a city that has seen major architectural revolutions for 2000 years. Haghia Sophia was revolution in architecture. 1000 years later, Mimar Sinan identified and solved its problems. And 80% of his works were public buildings. That speaks for itself.''
A responsibility to the past and the present
A believer that Istanbul serves as a ideal example of how to modernise while preserving the past, Bektas expressed his disappointment that only he and Charles Correa discussed this subject in their speeches. ''The fact that I respect Mimar Sinan's works is meaningless unless he would respect mine. Istanbul's 19th century civil buildings are an example of how architecture can achieve balance and harmony.'' The architect adds that he believes that Istanbul should be proud of its skyline, which incorporates the past and the present and a mosaic of cultures.
Istanbul, a world capital
We asked Bektaş whether he saw Istanbul as a world capital. ''I have been to all the major cities in the world, and lived in them for short periods. But I couldn't live anywhere but Istanbul for an extended period of time. The top tier of society has made some major cultural developments in recent years, but these need to be shared with the rest of Turkish society.''Bektaş believes that the Turkish architecture students who attended the congress focussed their attention on the 'famous' architects because their education does not value Turkey or its problems. ''Clearly they want to be artists, even though they know they will be popular for a month, maybe a year and then be forgotten.'' He concludes, ''There is no end to ambition. What matters is what we share with others, what we give. This theme is usually the second or third priority of such events, but it should be the first.''
| Helpful hints... |
| From the statement issued at the end of the 22nd UIA World Architecture Congress? The International Union of Architects was established after WWII with the aim of rebuilding the cities that had been destroyed. The congress in Istanbul coincided with a war that threatens to destroy the modern cities of Mesopotamia, the birthplace of global architecture. As a result, the primary hope of the congress is to create a world without wars that destroy cities and architecture. |
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