Architectural evaluation of world's fairs/expos: Turkish pavilions

IV ABSTRACT In this study titled "An Evaluation About Expos/World's Fairs : Turkish Pavilions", basically it is concentrated on evaluating the Turkish Pavilions in the World's Fairs in the context of "cultural identity" and "architectural representation", and parallel with the architectural milieu which had been influenced by the changing socio-political and economical conditions of Turkey, although firstly it is pointed out the general characteristics of Expos. In the first chapter, the state of the study is explained in the literature about the Expos. The aim of the study is demonstrated and the extent of subject and the methodology of the study are defined. In the second chapter, the concept of fair, the formal changes of fair in historical process and the emergence of the World's Fairs/Expos in this process is explained. Defining the notion of "World Fair/Expo" and analyzing the Expo's history comprise the third chapter of the study. In this chapter, by searching some specific Expos between 1851-2000 general evaluation about Expo's characteristics is done. On this basis, an "Expo definition" not existing in literature is made. In the fourth chapter, the basic aim is to evaluate in architectural terms the Turkish Pavilions in the Expos. In this context firstly, a conceptual framework is constructed about the "cultural identity" problem, which came to being in the non- Western societies, related with the modern movement began in the West in the middle nineteenth century and spread to the Periphery Countries and the reflection of "cultural identity-architecture" relation on Expos. On this basis, how the modern movement had caused the "cultural identity problem" in Ottoman Empire and howthe changing social, political, economical and cultural structure have transformed the point of view of "national identity" in architectural milieu in the following historical process are investigated. As a result, with collected information, Turkish Pavilions in the Expos are architecturally studied in the context of "identity and architectural representation" directly on architectural products. In the fifth chapter that is the conclusion, the findings derived from the study are discussed. Keywords: Expo / World's Fair, Modernization, Cultural Identity, Architectural Representation