Structure and fragment in architectural practice: A case study of Mimar Sinan grand award laureates

Since the last decades of the previous century, image production has increased more rapidly than in any other history phase. The visual culture environment has become dominant and affected architectural practices. The linear process that begins with an idea and ends with an end-product has disappeared. This thesis explores an alternative way of looking at the architectural practice and understanding its processes and products. By defining two concepts, "fragment" and "structure," and questioning their relationship as a pair, this thesis argues that; each image is both a structure and a fragment. Fragments establish various structures by associating with other fragments, while the structures break down into various fragments that go forever. This thesis argues that fragments and structures are rhizomatically related. Through mutual engagement and responsiveness, the communication of the fragments and the structure becomes richer, more cooperative, and more dialogical. Thus, their analysis provides a broader perspective to comprehend and interpret the present day's architectural practice through its objects and images. This thesis focuses on a dialog between fragments and structures that is neither a dialogue between parties who preserve themselves nor a part-whole relationship. Instead, it concentrates on the intellectual outputs of structures and fragments that construct and reconstruct themselves in dialogic relation. As its case studies, this thesis primarily focuses on the practices of Mimar Sinan Grand Award laureates. It describes the award as a structure on its own, interpreting its fragments through its representations. In the case study part of the thesis, the studies were carried out to clarify and exemplify the theoretical discussion. Photographs, interviews, videos, and textual sources are surveyed, and rhizome maps of the architectural practices of each Mimar Sinan Award laureates are created based on this research. As a result, fragments of the practice of each architect and their representations as the award laureates are examined and discussed. Keywords: Architectural Practice, Fragment, Structure, Image, Mimar Sinan Grand Award