A Historical Overview of Multi-storey Dwelling and Evaluation of Early Apartment Blocks in Magusa, North Cyprus

First versions of many ongoing architectural typologies usually exhibit more unique and original characteristics compared to the following types of the same typology that came subsequently. Apparently, early apartment building typologies being more authentic and totally different than today’s mass production examples offering more convenient for common needs of the multi-family dwelling as well as the genuine expectations of single families. It is possible to clearly observe this on the evolution of North Cyprus apartment building typology and quite interesting results hoped to be gathered. A quick observation shows that the first apartments, as original building types, contribute to everyday private and common life and its urban context with their clear distinctions manifesting in their exterior and interior space organizations, compared to monotonous contemporary apartments that have gradually lost their identity. This research starts with the discovery of Famagusta city having unique dynamics in its transition to multi-story housing and in this sense, displaying quite a difference in characteristics from other countries, especially from Turkey. In this context, with consideration of the transitional process to multi-story housing, the historical development of this process and dependently, apartment concept’s change over time; similarities and differences between the first city apartments built between 1958-87 and routinized and banal(ordinary) apartment buildings built after 1987 are aimed to be identified. Making use of previously conducted theoretical studies about apartmanization and with examples chosen from the apartmanization processes of Turkey, North Cyprus, and the world, the subject is attempted to be presented with its varying dimensions and aspects. In the light of this data, the subject is analyzed through the examples of apartments and buildings that have been built in Famagusta city between 1958 -87 grouped under three main titles: building characteristic, floor characteristic, unit properties. However, it should be mentioned here that these buildings show more Unique and genuine characteristics rather than being one of the versions of the basic apartment types. This is the main challenge for this research interest to discover these characteristics and compare them with the modern-day apartments in order to further understanding of their qualities and values. In conclusion, this thesis is based on examinations of cases gathered from archival research. Accordingly, on the subject of creating new information, data is collected by consulting archive research and sample examination methods. Through the process of archival research, documents from the archives of Turkish Municipality of Famagusta are combed. In this respect, alongside the literature browsing, sample analysis holds significant importance to gather the essential information. Qualitative research technique is used to obtain application data. And finally, a table is made for the purpose of determining building type characteristics of every chosen sample. And the results of this sample evaluation is interpreted based on a timeline sorted according to the construction dates of buildings. By the way of determining this change of apartment typology built between given dates in Famagusta city, in order to better clarify the similarities and the differences between unique characteristics of the first early period (first generation) apartments and common characteristics of today’s ordinary apartments, the subject is aimed to be argued over samples. Eventually, it is expected that this study will shine a light on ever-increasing housing types with the specific characters and qualities of unique typologies from the past.