The Process of Transformation in Loft Housing Typology:  An Analysis of the Loft Concept in Turkey:  The Levent Loft Project

In the developed world, one outcome of the second industrial revolution and its transformations in the use of natural resources, cheap labour, social and economic standards of living, and modes of commodity transfer, was the relocation of larger heavy industries to the periphery of cities. What remained in many of these cities as a result of this forced movement was what we might call industrial heritage, large sites made up of vast buildings, warehouses, offices and harbour docks which had outlived their original function. By the last quarter of the 20th century, these structures were being taken in hand and redeveloped for new use as housing. Originating as they did in industry, the majority of these buildings had several structural features in common: open floor plans, high ceilings, large windows and strictly functional interiors and exteriors. The first examples of such places being taken over for residential purposes was in the Soho district of Manhattan in New York. Often informally initiated by artists or as alternative solutions to the problem of homelessness, the transformation here began with low-budget individual enterprises. These constituted only a marginal element of the housing industry and were the first generation of what came to be called loft conversions. By the close of the century, however, this generation had given way to the second, in which loft conversions became a popular phenomenon of urban architectural culture in cities all over the developed world. By this time, the conversions were architect-designed projects being marketed to high-income white-collar urbanites in search of a distinctive style of living. As a unique example of such a second-generation project undertaken in Turkey, the Levent Loft Project on B�y�kdere Boulevard in Istanbul is worthy of study both in terms of its own historical development and residential profile, and the general culture of loft living, development of its typology, and urban housing rituals.

Keywords: Industrial heritage, housing culture; housing typology; loft concept; transformation of space.

Loft Tipi Konutlar�n Ba�kala��m S�reci Ba�lam�nda T�rkiye�de Loft Kavram�n�n Analizi: Levent Loft �rne�i

Ali Devrim I��kkaya
Bah�e�ehir �niversitesi Mimarl�k Ve Tasar�m Fak�ltesi, �stanbul

�zellikle ikinci b�y�k end�stri devrimi ile birlikte, hammadde kaynaklar�, ucuz i� g�c�, sosyal ve ekonomik hayat ko�ullar�, mal transfer bi�imleri ile birlikte, Avrupa ve ABD gibi geli�mi� co�rafya b�y�k kentlerinde kent i�i konumlanm�� liman, end�stri i�letmeleri ve depolar kentin periferilerine �telenmi�ler, s�z konusu b�y�k yer de�i�tirmeler sonunda, bir t�r end�stri miras� olarak kabul edilebilecek, i�levsiz kalm�� t�m liman ve a��r sanayi bina ya da binalar�, 20. y�zy�l�n son �eyre�i itibariyle yeniden de�erlendirilmek �zere ele al�nmaktad�r. Serbest planl�, y�ksek tavanl�, b�y�k pencereleri ve ��plak str�kt�rl� s�z konu end�striyel kimlikli mekanlar, �al��ma ve bar�nma ama�l�, kay�t d�� olarak �ncelikle sanat��lar ve evsizler taraf�ndan, ilk olarak New York kenti, Manhattan Soho b�lgesinde d��k b�t�eli ki�isel giri�imler ile d�n��t�r�lm�� ve kullan�lm��t�r. Marjinal bir konut k�lt�r�n�n �r�n� birinci jenerasyon loft konut olarak adland�r�labilecek bu �rnekler, y�zy�l bitiminde yerlerini, bir t�r k�lt�rel, kentsel, mimari fenomen olarak nitelendirilen, mimarlar taraf�ndan beyaz yakal�, y�ksek profilli kent soylular i�in tasarlanm�� ikinci jenerasyon loft konutlara terk etmi�lerdir. Bu ba�lamda, ikinci jenerasyon loft konut konseptine dahil edilebilecek, Maslak B�y�kdere Caddesi yan�nda yer alan Levent Loft Projesi, �stanbul�da ve T�rkiye�de ilk loft deneyimi olmas�, loft ya�am k�lt�r�, tarihi geli�imi, tipolojik bi�imleni�i, kentli bar�nma rit�elleri ve konut ve konut sahibinin profil bi�imlenmesi a��s�ndan irdelenecek son derece �nemli, tekil bir �rnektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler: End�striyel miras, konut k�lt�r�; konut tipolojisi; Loft konsepti; mekansal ba�kala��m.

Ali Devrim I��kkaya. The Process of Transformation in Loft Housing Typology: An Analysis of the Loft Concept in Turkey: The Levent Loft Project. Megaron. 2015; 10(2): 205-223

Corresponding Author: Ali Devrim I��kkaya, T�rkiye

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