A typomorphological reading on the articulation of multifunctional semi-public/private spaces to the urban texture in Beyoglu; arcades, passageways, dean ends, sites

Abstract

The transformation of Beyoglu which started in the mid-XIV century as a part of modernisation process of the Ottoman Empire can be defined as a period in which different typologies on architectural and urbanistic scales are observed and consequently, during the same period, the very first examples of apartment buildings and arcades inspired by occidental references to appear in Ottoman architecture. This study mainly focuses on these arcades as well as passages, dead-ends and sites, which are still a part of the vitality of Beyoglu with their semi-public and multifunctional aspects. It also analyses the motivations behind their construction, their incorporation into the existing urban tissue and their functions. The main aim of this study is to answer the absence of research on the integration of these buildings at the urban level. Moreover, this study targets to create a database on these samples that are considered specimens representing the passage from traditional Ottoman bans to Occident-inspired arcades. This database can be used in future studies that will deepen the study on the subject. Another point is to show the social and commercial potential created by the incorporation of these spaces, to encourage new projects of the same order. The present phase of the rapid transformation of the Beyoglu brings a heavy sequence of restorations and demolishments, which results in many cases a partial or total loss of functionality of these constructions. This fact is another motivation for this study and adds a hint of emergent necessity. The methodology applied here is the building typology-urban morphology approach, which is based on a system of interdependence between architectural and urbanistic scales. Researchers who developed the typology-morphology approach analyse the logic that shapes a city on the basis of relations between the whole and its parts. According to that approach, different phases of typology research are the following; making an inventory of samples, generating clusters, comparing samples and regrouping similar specimens. In this survey that concentrates on arcades, passageways, dead-ends and sites, foremost a geographic parameter is defined and 23 buildings and/or buildings complexes that are constructed before the beginning of the XXth century, were elected. One of the most important findings of this survey is the motivation to build these arcades. Although the investors were targeting, exactly like their occidental pairs, to create more comfortable and attractive commercial spaces, isolated from the disadvantages of the streets and open-air areas, they were also financially speculating on the rarity of habitations in the same districts. As a result, these edifices propose more residential solutions than similar buildings in occidental cities. These buildings and sites belong to the individuals and this specificity separates them from the traditional Ottoman hans that belong to foundations. On the other hand, the way that they integrate the urban area imitates hans. Nevertheless, studied samples resemble the occidental ones in the way of the following points; making accessible the central part of the city block, creating public spaces in individual properties, creating its own distribution system and creating access between disconnected parts of the district. From the historical point of view, 9 out of 23 samples are identified in the cadastral plan of 1858-1860. The majority of them were built after an elaborate preparation and evaluation of the potential of each and every parcel, the definition of their existing cadastral situation, and the possibilities of creating easy and continuous pedestrian access. As a result, they were easily integrated into the urban environment. Relatively recent samples are usually individual buildings or arcades between two streets. Most of the time, they were constructed on empty parcels that had no prior arcades or dead ends. This information indicates a possible change of form in respect of integration to the urban tissue throughout the period examined. The form of the arcade of an individual building is closer to a defined geometrical form compared with earlier examples and the crossing of this type of passageway usually has the same defined geometrical form. Contrarily, earlier samples follow the existing urban tissue and try to find the easiest way to provide fluid pedestrian access within the limits of the urban environment. The intention of this study is to contribute to the existing technical literature which is solely focused on the architectural issues, by its original global approach that deals with the functionalities of arcades, passageways, dead-ends and sites and their incorporation into the existing urban environment.