Throughout history, cities have needed
industrialization since they emerged. Industrialization requires electric power
plants because they meet the electricity demand of cities. However, old power
plants failed to meet the energy demand of developing cities over time.
Therefore, many were shut down, abandoned or demolished. The sustainability of
buildings reflecting urban history and witnessing industrialization is an
important architectural issue. Sustainable cities and sustainable architecture
are made possible by reintegrating such buildings into urban life. From a
material and spiritual point of view, cities and city dwellers benefit the
transformation and reutilization of existing resources as well. The subject of
this study is the transformation of Silahtaraga, which is located in Istanbul
and the first electric power plant in Turkey. A modern example of industrial
architecture built between 1910 and 1914, Silahtaraga was a coal-fired power
plant that met the electricity demand of the city. It was then the first urban
scale thermal power plant of the Ottoman state. However, it failed to meet the
increasing demand of the city, and therefore, was completely shut down and
abandoned in 1983. It was transformed and conserved through refunction in 2007.
Today, it is used as a museum of energy, a museum of contemporary art and a
library. The
study discusses the history, transformation, significance and
re-functionalization of Silahtaraga power plant built during the
industrialization process. The aim of the study is to highlight the necessity
of revitalization and refunction of buildings which have witnessed urban
history and held a distinguished position in urban memory and identity.
Primary Language | English |
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Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | March 31, 2020 |
Published in Issue | Year 2020 Volume: 21 Issue: 1 |