Adaptive Reuse of Nicosia International Airport as an Example of Common Modern Heritage of Cyprus

While this study examines the modern architectural heritage of Cyprus through the examples of Modern architecture on the island, it also emphasizes the potential of the Nicosia International Airport Terminal Building (NIAT), which remained in the ‘Buffer Zone’ after various political conflicts, to be a modern architectural heritage. Modernist style is examined first through pioneers of architecture, interior space and furniture designs, and later modernist buildings are examined in different regions of Cyprus in different periods of Cypriot Modernism which, within the scope of this thesis, is divided into two as before and after 1960. The determination of this breakpoint was decided with the declaration of Independence of Cyprus in 16 August 1960, as it provided the island the chance for spiritual, architectural and economic development. The study provides both evidence about Modern Architecture in Cyprus between 1930-1960 and 1960-1980; and also gives information about the characteristic features of the period. The NIAT building, which can be accepted as a symbolic element of the shared history of the Cypriot communities, is currently abandoned and has only restricted access since 1974. One of the main purposes of this thesis is to present potential functions towards a future re-opening of the terminal building to the common use of the Cypriot communities within a re-unification scenario in Cyprus. This study aims to lay the groundwork for the revitalization of the building in order to ensure the sustainability of the common culture of the Cypriot’s. The focus of this research is on the NIAT building within the Nicosia International Airport Complex (NIAC) in order to preserve and sustain a potential cultural heritage building. All data and analyses which are directly or indirectly related to this building, have contributed to an ‘elimination matrix’ in order to propose the most appropriate functions for NIAT.