Proceedings of the 31st International Academic Conference, London

EXPIRING NEIGHBORHOOD: ARCHITECTURE AS A TOOL FOR MARKETING “HOME” IN ISTANBUL/TURKEY

NAIME ESRA AKIN

Abstract:

Istanbul is one of the metropolitan areas connected to the globe in many ways. Since 1980, Turkey is open to the effects of the consumer culture. TV series, imported goods, brand names, commercials, working practices, etc. changed not only our everyday life, but our values as well. “Competing”, “show off” and “money” are the basic motivation for the society instead of “solidarity”, “sensitivity” and “respect”. Architecture is in use of the economy policy as one of the tools supporting the social change towards a capital oriented mass. The criterion to buy a house is its exchange value instead of its use value as a “home”. A house is not considered as a “home ‘to enjoy our individual/family life any more. Masses are being manipulated to think the house as an asset for investment on sale. The program and the spatial organization of the houses depend on the rules of marketing, instead of beauty, strength, or use as it used to be in the history of architecture. Considering the percentage of housing in the context of the built environment, and the effect of the space on the human mind/body, it is easy to imagine this consumerist approach of housing will cause a big change on the urban dynamics. The neighborhoods in Istanbul are already under attack of the contractor companies. High-rise residences with some commercial facilities have been constructed and sold for high prices. In a short period, this pattern of production has become a conventional practice of the production of housing. This paper presents a fragment from the current everyday life in Istanbul drifting attention to the contradiction in-between the demands of the housing market and the embedded value of the societal relations at the neighborhoods. The target is showing the upcoming danger of losing the human values, values of architecture and the city as a living organism, and questioning the possibilities for a better future.

Keywords: Istanbul, neighborhood, housing, gated community, everyday life, consumer thought, society, architecture

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2017.031.003

PDF: Download