Re-reading the Republican Era Ankara casinos designed with the water: A spatial study on the lake casino

Ankara is a planned capital that contains the first architectural examples of Republican ideology, to be an example project where the foundation of the Republic was laid. After becoming the capital, architecturally unique examples of family casinos, which can be a significant evidence of changing everyday life and modern entertainment culture, were built in Ankara and served until the 1990s. In this arid Anatolian city, the investigation of the relationship between these entertainment venues and water are important to understand the architectural decisions taken during the period and the ideas in the formation of the modern capital's social face. When the city was planning, public pools and lakes were at the forefront, and entertainment venues, including certain casinos, were designed in relation with water. Most of the casinos built during this period have been demolished or changed their function today. A detailed listing of casino buildings that began to operate in Ankara between 1923 and 1990, and identifying those associated with water is crucial both to see the reflections of the idea of casino entertainment on space and on everyday life, and to understand the place of these structures in Ankara entertainment life. In this context, the study aims to examine the formation, golden age, and extinction eras of entertainment culture through casinos. This study is focused on Marmara, Çubuk Dam, Lake Casinos, which are the only examples designed with water around them and has examined the Lake Casino which is the only example maintaining its integrity today. Lake Casino has been reviewed structurally and spatially for understanding the status of building past and interpret its current usage.