Research Article

CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION

Volume: 3 Number: 1 March 31, 2026
EN TR

CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION

Abstract

This study aims to discuss how cinema documents architectural cultural heritage, which spatial layers it makes visible, and which it systematically leaves in the background. The research evaluates approaches that emphasize the role of documentation in the conservation process and the selective representations through which heritage is constructed. It considers film records not as complete documentation but as a complementary resource that supports conservation documentation with experiential and usage knowledge. Qualitative content analysis was chosen as the method; for this purpose, the films Russian Ark (2002) and The Great Beauty (2013) were analyzed at the sequence level using a visible/invisible coding matrix. The coding matrix consists of the following categories: spatial integrity, circulation and thresholds, atmosphere, usage practices, and preservation-critical invisibles. The study first conducted a pilot application to test whether the codebook was suitable for analysis, and then systematically analyzed the two films included in the study according to the coding matrix. The findings reveal that both films strongly convey architectural heritage, particularly through continuity of circulation, transitions between thresholds, atmosphere, and specific practices. In contrast, the systematic readability of measurement/scale setup, structure and service/infrastructure layers, and traces of deterioration-repair remains limited throughout most sequences. Consequently, it was concluded that while cinema offers meaningful contributions to conservation documentation in terms of experience, usage, and atmospheric information, it is not a sufficient documentation tool on its own due to its capacity to produce technical and measurable data. It can be considered a complementary layer added to purpose-driven document sets.

Keywords

References

  1. Avrami, E. C., Mason, R., de la Torre, M. (2000). Values and heritage conservation: Research report. Getty Conservation Institute.
  2. Bordwell, D., Thompson, K., Smith, J. (2019). Film art: An introduction (12th ed.). Ohio: McGraw-Hill Education.
  3. Bruno, G. (1997). Site-seeing: Architecture and the moving image. Wide Angle, Vol. 19, Issue 4, p. 8-24.
  4. Bruno, G. (2002). Atlas of emotion: Journeys in art, architecture, and film. London: Verso.
  5. Chion, M. (1994). Audio-vision: Sound on screen (C. Gorbman, Ed. & Trans.). New York: Columbia University Press.
  6. De Certeau, M. (1984). The practice of everyday life (S. Rendall, Trans.). Los Angeles: University of California Press.
  7. Eppich, R., Chabbi, A. (Eds.). (2007). Recording, documentation, and information management for the conservation of heritage places: Illustrated examples (Vol. 2). Getty Conservation Institute.
  8. Festival de Cannes. (n.d.). Russian Ark (2002). https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/russian-ark. 15.12.2025

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Interior Architecture , Architectural Heritage and Conservation, Architectural Design

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 31, 2026

Submission Date

January 13, 2026

Acceptance Date

February 9, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 3 Number: 1

APA
Çoban, G. (2026). CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION. Mekansal Çalışmalar Dergisi, 3(1), 36-48. https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH
AMA
1.Çoban G. CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION. JOS. 2026;3(1):36-48. https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH
Chicago
Çoban, Gamze. 2026. “CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION”. Mekansal Çalışmalar Dergisi 3 (1): 36-48. https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH.
EndNote
Çoban G (March 1, 2026) CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION. Mekansal Çalışmalar Dergisi 3 1 36–48.
IEEE
[1]G. Çoban, “CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION”, JOS, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 36–48, Mar. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH
ISNAD
Çoban, Gamze. “CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION”. Mekansal Çalışmalar Dergisi 3/1 (March 1, 2026): 36-48. https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH.
JAMA
1.Çoban G. CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION. JOS. 2026;3:36–48.
MLA
Çoban, Gamze. “CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION”. Mekansal Çalışmalar Dergisi, vol. 3, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 36-48, https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH.
Vancouver
1.Gamze Çoban. CINEMA AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION. JOS [Internet]. 2026 Mar. 1;3(1):36-48. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA87WY88JH