Loss of identity in buildings of modern architecture; The case of Edirne government house
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Abstract
Urban identity is the collection of values that cover various architectural, cultural, economic or politic terms and that separate a city from others, making it more significant. Buildings that contribute to the authentic identity of cities and that carry the architectural features of their eras play a key role in transmitting the urban identity to the future generations and ensuring cultural sustainability. The Modern Architecture buildings that emerged through the Modernism movement in Turkey in the early 1900s and that were produced until the end of 1980s bear the traces of a certain period, and therefore they contribute to the formation of urban memory and authentic urban identity. Modern architectural buildings were accepted and conserved as cultural assets contributing to the formation of urban memory only at the end of 20th century, and the problem of conserving the modern architectural buildings has become a topic for conservation-related discussions in all countries including Turkish. Accordingly, this study examined Edirne Government House which is a modern architectural building considering the period it was constructed as well as its architectural style, which was built as a result of a contest, and facade characteristics of which were changed in 2015, resulting in more changes in the authentic facade form of the building. The purpose of this study is to reveal how the buildings that are the results of modern architecture lost their identities following unconscious interventions. The recent restoration on the facade of Edirne Government House that is still in use in the historical city center caused the loss of authentic facade characteristics, and this restoration was assessed in line with the international regulations in the present study. Interventions to the authentic characteristics of a building, which include changing the style and presenting the traces of a time which is actually not the period of construction for that building, cause people to misperceive the architectural work and result in the distortion of architectural identity.
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Keywords: Edirne Government House, urban identity, loss of architectural identity, modern architecture
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