Representations of public spaces in television series: The case of Medcezi̇r

Industrialization, globalization, and neoliberal policies have rapidly transformed urbanization processes in Turkey, leading to the emergence of different housing typologies and spatial segregations. While the traditional neighbourhood fabric represents a mode of life based on public space use, social relations, and a sense of belonging, gated communities embody a contrasting lifestyle defined by individuality, security, controlled access, and status indicators. Television series, through their fictional narratives, are significant visual cultural products that render the relationship between society and urban space visible. With their potential to reach broad audiences, they serve as powerful instruments in conveying social dynamics, spatial representations, and class-based divisions. In this context, Medcezir stands out as a remarkable example that makes visible the social and spatial transformations of a particular period in Turkey through popular culture. Selected as the case study, Medcezir illustrates, more distinctively than many of its counterparts, how different housing typologies expose processes of social segregation and spatial fragmentation. In this thesis, the series' scenes are analysed through methods of architectural and visual-narrative analysis. The architectural features of spatial settings, the use of public and semi-public spaces, the interaction between interior and exterior environments, and the influence of cinematographic techniques (such as camera angles and lighting) on architectural representation are examined, thereby revealing the social dimensions of urban space to the audience. This research demonstrates that television series are not only cultural products but also valuable analytical tools for studying spatial and class based segregation, as well as the dynamics of public and private realms. In doing so, it brings architectural representations often overlooked in the discipline of architecture into the discussion through visual cultural products and contributes a new methodological perspective to understanding the city, space and society nexus.