Change in late Ottoman and early Turkish republic architectural knowledge and construction technology: Early reinforced concrete models in Istanbul: 1906-1930

This thesis has taken as its point of departure, the lack of sufficient research into the early use of reinforced concrete construction technology, its appearance in Ottoman architecture, education, architectural atmosphere and construction practices. The thesis has been limited to the period between 1906 and 1930 because the documents related to the early use of reinforced concrete begin in 1906 and increase in civil architecture after 1930. The reinforced concrete buildings of this period have been taken up with examples from Istanbul. The use of reinforced concrete in Istanbul?s official and civil buildings forms its contents and includes buildings of the period examined from the point of view of architectural history through original documents. Every one of these buildings appears in the thesis with their architectual and static projects or other documents and photographs that belong to the structures and with brief information to support them. Prior to the introduction of reinforced concrete into buildings, building technologies and other techniques that are briefly touched on make up the other phases that prepared the architectural atmosphere.The architectural atmosphere at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, the general framework and construction technologies, education and the theoretical back ground of the reinforced concrete have been evaluated under subheadings. In Ottoman and Republican architecture the early reinforced concrete examples, the documents related to the construction of the Customs Buildings, Loading (Bonded) Warehouses and Depots and Maritime Traffic Administration Building and the existence of reinforced concrete in Istanbul?s landing construction and in some buildings built by the Foundations Administration have been the focal center of this section with original documents and sources. In addition to the known examples of reinforced concrete buildings in the Republic Period, a few other examples have been chosen and included in the thesis along with original documents. Contradictory information like the year of construction and the company that carried out the construction for buildings in theses and articles by other researchers have been re-categorized on the basis of researching original sources. In the section on conclusions a general evaluation of the documents obtained has been carried out. It appears that the reinforced concrete stock that began in the late Ottoman period and increased in the Early Republic period showed a development shaped by government policies. Reinforced concrete construction technology did not enter our architecture in the 1920s as has been thought but at an earlier date, in 1906 immediately preceeding the Second Mesrutiyet (Second Constitution Period), and this comes out in this thesis through original documents that have begun to be published as the same peirod with Europe.Key Words: Reinforced concrete, cimentarme, architecture, architectural history, reinforced concrete technology, Ottoman Architecture, Republic Architecture, quays, Customs, Foundation Hans, Foundation Apartments, Architect Kemalettin.