Climate change, environmental sustainability, and museum architecture

Climate change is a global issue with grave consequences for daily life and biodiversity. Despite scientists' warnings, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to grow, and thus the global temperature continues to rise. It is evident that the planet will be unable to bear this burden unless governments, international organizations, and all communities work cooperatively. Museums, as integral components of the culture and art worlds, as opinion leaders and institutions dedicated to the preservation of the past and future, must set the standard and leaders in the efforts to mitigate climate change. This thesis examines how the arts, cultural, and particularly the museum sectors, with an emphasis on these sectors' activities in Turkey, are implementing environmental sustainability measures. It also examines what more can be done. The primary objective of this thesis is to research, document, and present the current state of Turkish museums, as well as to reflect the perspectives and challenges confronting museum professionals and architects when implementing environmental sustainability measures in their facilities. Additionally, the architectural designs of a representative sample of museums in Turkey and abroad are examined to determine the extent to which environmentally sustainable solutions and design choices have been incorporated into their structures. To gain a better understanding of the challenges museums face regarding being green buildings, a field research was conducted which documented the opinions of architects and museum professionals about how museums support climate action through architectural design. The findings of this study establish a foundation for future research on the current state of Turkish museums and demonstrate the need for additional research.