Periodic Readings on the City and Architecture: Two Office Buildings in Ankara

Abstract

Readings on the city and architecture are mostly based on certain breaking points. 1950, the year when the Democrat Party came into power, is an important breaking point in this regard. The single-party period began to be debated during World War II and Turkey entered a multi-party system in 1945, holding its first multi-party elections in 1946. The single-party period ended with the 1950 elections, heralding a new political era. This new era saw the end of statism and the birth of a new economic approach driven by the private sector. Socially, life in this period was built on what can be expressed as a rapprochement with America. Another breaking point in this context is 1960, the year the Democrat Party rule ended. The new era corresponds to a time period in which the principles of the social state as well as planned economic policies were implemented, while youth organizations and anti-American movements gained weight. As in other fields, the Democrat Party, which was in power between 1950-1960, caused important changes in the field of architecture, and has become the subject of many studies on the search for new architectures, emerging building types, and planning activities in the cities. Ulus İşhanı and Emek İşhanı are two buildings that exemplify the new building types of this period. This article makes an urban and architectural assessment of these two buildings, which made headlines in recent years, to carry out a periodic reading.

Keywords

• democrat party period
• architecture
• ulus office building
• emek office building
• ankara