Conservation recommendations for type schools in İstanbul: Acibadem 10ᵗʰ school example

Education has been an important subject emphasized by the state from the Ottoman period to the present day. Especially from the late period of the Ottoman Empire, there have been many innovations in this field. After the proclamation of the Republic, significant reforms were implemented in the field of education, which also had architectural implications. Existing educational buildings across the country were examined, and it was concluded that a significant portion of these buildings could not serve the evolving education system. In line with the emerging needs, new school buildings suitable for the new education system began to be constructed throughout the country. In 1929-1930, a decision was made to construct a total of 35 schools in Istanbul, including 24 in the city and 11 in the villages. The building belonging to Acıbadem 10ᵗʰ School, one of these schools, has managed to remain more unique compared to other schools built in the same period and of the same type. The concept of "educational heritage," which is an important component of cultural heritage, has become a widely discussed topic today. In the research conducted within the scope of the thesis, it was observed that no program was developed by the relevant authorities for the preservation of these buildings, which are our educational heritage. In the study, after explaining the education policies that have developed in Turkey under two main headings, namely pre-Republic and post-Republic periods, other schools built in Istanbul during the same period and with the same type of project as Acıbadem 10ᵗʰ School were examined on-site, and their current physical conditions and preservation issues were comprehensively explained with the support of visuals. Then, the historical process and current condition of Acıbadem 10ᵗʰ School were elaborated in detail. Subsequently, the concept of "educational heritage" was addressed, and the values that the building possesses were defined, explaining why the buildings covered in the thesis need to be preserved. Within the scope of this thesis, protection measures that should be implemented by responsible institutions, issues related to material and functional changes, lack of a serious control mechanism regarding inappropriate interventions in these buildings, budgetary constraints, and the transmission of heritage values of the building to users and society were examined, and preservation recommendations were provided on a group scale.