Towards a dialogic perspective for urban voids: An assesment of the diploma studio

Urban voids are the cornerstone for urban development and the grounds for change; therefore, their design process should be considered thoroughly. They may create spaces that have a dynamic relationship with the existing urban fabric. This study addresses the potentials of urban voids in the city and approaches to the urban voids and new perspectives and strategies over the relocation of military areas. The emerging voids from this relocation can be an opportunity to use the potentials of voids from different perspectives. A dialogical perspective with the changing contexts can be a tool for today's conditions or can give the ability to manage these voids. The scope of this paper is to scrutinize the potential of urban voids with the conceptual framework of Mikhail Bakhtin's theories of 'dialogy', 'carnival', and 'heteroglossia'. The Bakhtinian point of view aims to reveal a heteroglot and a dialogical perspective dominated by the carnavalesk state of urban voids. In line with this purpose, this paper aims to a Bakhtinian perspective to urban voids. The importance of repairing the urban landscape to be examined within the thesis's scope is based on dialogical thinking. Sennet's strategies and approach to the Bakhtinian perspective are essential to restore the urban landscape for Ankara. For this thesis, the diploma studio outputs are suggested to take the discussion further and examined through the specific strategies. The students experimented with ways of approaching the transformation of military areas in Ankara. It is proposed that the diploma studios' productions significantly contribute to repairing the urban landscape; because of the diploma studio's dialogic nature. Keywords: Urban void, Urban experience, Dialogy, Carnival, Heteroglossia, Studio projects, Strategies.