Sedad Hakki Eldem, the silent Ambassador of Turkish Architecture

Abstract

Eldem has often been defined as the 'State Architect' for many reasons, but his referring to vernacular architecture was driven by a very refined culture of also a transnational character. The analysis of his correspondence demonstrates how he was also an internationally renowned intellectual who through his work became the 'ambassador' of that culture which his family had already advocated. Eldem is a minor figure, in the Western world, probably because he was too tied to Turkish cultural events to be considered as Pikionis or Pouillon. The aim of this paper is to bring to light unknown aspects of Eldem's experience.Aspects, which have never been taken into consideration and whose absence has probably contributed to the crystallization of a sometimes misleading portrait of this architect.

Keywords

• architettura vernacolare
• architetto di stato