Mimar Kemalettin – Life and Works

Mimar Kemalettin’s architectural career coincided with the most crucial juncture in the history of Turkey. He witnessed the last decades of the Ottoman Caliphate and first ones of the Turkish Republic. Living and working in these critical times in history, Kemalettin Bey enjoys pioneering status in the First National Architectural Period.

Mahmud Kemalettin was born in 1870 to a middle class Ottoman family in Istanbul. His early education was at a school near home and later he proceeded to Crete, where he learnt Arabic and French. He entered the Hendese-i Mulkiye in 1887 for professional education in Structural Engineering and Architecture, from where he graduated in 1891. He also spent around two years in Berlin, Germany for further education on a scholarship.

Kemalettin began practice as assistant to his teacher, Prof. Jasmund, who appointed him to work at the Sirkeci Railway Station project, designed by Jasmund in 1888. Before moving to Berlin in 1895, he spent a few years working on various design as well as restoration works, while conducting studies of the traditional Turkish architecture. In Germany, Kemalettin Bey came across Western architecture, which was to be an immense influence in his later works.

Upon his return to Turkey, he worked on various projects while also teaching Architecture and Restoration. However, it was in 1909 that his most productive works began, when he was appointed head of architecture at the Imperial Ministry of Foundations. During the years before the birth of the Republic, he undertook many officially commissioned works in Istanbul including mosques, apartments and schools.

Kemalettin’s work as a restorer is also remarkable and brought international fame to Turkey when he was commissioned the restoration work at Mescid Al-Aksa in Jerusalem.

The Republic of Turkey came into being in 1923 and Ankara was chosen as its capital. Kemalettin Bey was officially invited to share his knowledge and skills in building the new capital. Having been reappointed as director of construction and repairs and head of architecture at the Foundations ministry, he undertook various civic projects in Ankara, of which Foundation Hotel Ankara Palas was the first one.

After an eventful career during the years of the Caliphate and of the Republic, Kemalettin Bey died on 12^th June 1927 at the age of 57. He is remembered as the pioneering architect of the Republican Period.

THE SKETCHES OF TBMM BUILDING








TBMM BUILDING'S PHOTOGRAPHS

TBMM BUILDING ON GOOGLE MAP

THE ARCHITECT OF TBMM BUILDING

Clemens Holzmeister

1886-1983

Holzmeister, Clemens, b. Fulpmes (Tyrol), March 27, 1886, d. Hallein, June 12, 1983, architect. Studied at the University of Technology, taught at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts (1924-1938, 1954-1957), head of workshops for master craftsmen at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art (1928-1932), president of the Central Association of Architects and of the new Austrian Werkbund (1932-1938), emigrated to Turkey (1938-1954). Awards include Grand Austrian State Prize 1953. Notable for his symbolic monumental and religious buildings. Transformed local building traditions by introducing new elements, a combination of simplicity and expressive gestures. Created also monuments and set designs.

Holzmeister in Turkey: The Austrian architect Clemens Holzmeister has a special place among prominent architects invited from foreign countries during the foundation years of the Turkish Republic. He was invited to Turkey in 1927 to execute the governmental buildings of the new capital. Having completed 13 buildings until 1936, and winning the international competition for the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Holzmeister attained the rank of ‘official state architect’. He designed his first projects for Ankara as part of his international practice, while he was professor both at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and the Prussian Academy of Fine Arts in Dusseldorf. In February 1938, he was commissioned by Atatürk himself to build the Parliament building . At the time, Hitler’s troops were on the verge of occupying Austria. As Holzmeister had supported the Austrian government, which fought for Austria’s independence against the Nazis, he was expelled from his post in Vienna. During World War II, Holzmeister joined hundreds of scientists and intellectuals who sought refuge in Turkey. In his new homeland between 1938-1954, he lived and worked in Istanbul and Ankara, contributing also to the education of architects at Istanbul Technical University. Holzmeister did not lose contact with Turkey throughout his life: his last visit to Ankara was in 1978 for the occasion of consulting on the enlargement of the Grand National Assembly complex.

Works: The Crematorium in Vienna ( 1921-1924) The Broadcasting Centre in Vienna (1935-39) The Festival Theatre in Salzburg ( 1st alteration 1926, 2nd alteration 1936/38) The Provincial Theatre in Linz ( 1953-1960 ) h The New Festival Theatre in Salzburg ( 1955-1960 )

Buildings in Ankara The Ministry of War & General Staff Building ( 1927-1930 ) The Ministry of Employment ( 1929-1934 ) The Military Academy and Officers' Mess Club ( 1930-1935 ) Atatürk's Palace ( 1931-1932) The Central Bank ( 1931-1933 ) The Security Memorial ( 1931-1936 in co-operation with the Austrian sculptor Anton Hanak ) Emlak-Bank (1933-1934 ) The Supreme Court ( 1933-1934 ) The Austrian Embassy ( 1933-1934 ) The Trade, Commerce and Agriculture Ministry ( 1933-1935 ) The Department of the Interior/ The Home Office ( 1932-1934 ) The Parliamentary Buildings / Houses of Parliament in Ankara ( 1938-1943 )

He is buried in St. Peter's graveyard in Salzburg.

Reference list:

http://www.wokalamps.com/en/info/designer/clemens-holzmeister.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemens_Holzmeister

TBMM BUILDING

On January 11th, 1937, with a law promulgated by TBMM, it was decided to open a project contest for the construction of a new parliament building of a monumental quality and suitable to the permanence of the Republic of Turkey and the architectural characteristics of the 20^th century.

The contest in which 14 projects participated was finished on 28^th of January, 1938 and the jury chose three projects worthy of a first prize. As a result, it was decided to apply Clemens Holzmeister’s project and the construction was started on 26^th of January 1939.

Great difficulties were endured from time to time in finding financial resources for the construction of the building. Meanwhile, the starting of 2^nd World War also paved the way to even greater difficulties. Therefore, the construction was accelerated after 1957 ad it was opened for the use on January, 1961.

475 521 square meters of land located in a residential area of the main building of the Assembly is 19 372 square meters. Useful as the total interior volume of the 56 775 square meters. Five-storey facade of the building length is 248 meters. Architectural features and overall structure of the Parliament building, the Republic of Turkey in a way that symbolizes the power and immortality, dignified, strong and durable in nature is designed.

The skeleton of the building is reinforced concrete. Outer walls are in a thickness range from 8 cm and to 24 cm, and one third is covered with travertine partially cut with cataract and partially hand wrought. In the middle of the symmetric arrangement of monumental scale constructions group, main mass exists with its portico and perron entry including big meeting halls on the highest points of the site. Main mass has been enriched with wing blocks extending to the sides as two lines parallel to each other and the bridges which combine them.

Campus entrance on the right and left parliament and Dikmen Caddesi Ataturk Bulvari are on the two main doors.

In the middle section of the main building's front facade of honor Input 1 and 2 under the bridge wing, the third and fourth behind the front gates are numbered.

Sign monumental nature of the honor, to the inner hall of honor is late with five large bronze doors. Here are two inside the marble halls of the garden and the column is to enter the gallery.

MP lobbied on this gallery with locations in the central space enclosed by the General Assembly Hall is located. 640 for members are at the meeting hall and audience chamber in 1620 a total of 980 seats. According to the presidential chair on the left side of the chamber reserved for the President and the official administrator of the department, is located right in the chambers of the diplomatic. Members of the press in the first chamber to the opposite side of the base, the chamber above the audience, the citizens are divided into chambers.

General Assembly meetings in rooms with closed circuit television systems can be viewed from outside. Building, the General Assembly Hall have been reserved for groups outside the political parties and 700 176.415 44 rooms and three large meeting rooms and also 352 small and large rooms.

Buildings either side of the extending bridge connecting them with two wing sections in one Parliament Presidency office and working offices of the Conference of Presidents of members of chambers and the other end section of the interior into three large rooms comprising Parliamentary Ceremonial Hall is located.

The main building in the General Assembly hall outside of the political party devoted to management offices, committees and meeting rooms, the Assembly Library, computer center, archives, press and Shoe Shine halls, post office, airlines and railway ticket offices and the General Secretariat and related service units are available.

The architectural characteristic and the general structure of TBMM building has been designed with a sober, well built and lasting attribute, in a manner that will symbolize strength and immortality of the Republic of Turkey.

References:

http://www.turkcebilgi.com/tbmm_binas%FD/ansiklopedi

http://www.santiyeciler.com/Yapilar/Detay.aspx?YapiNo=53

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog, Republican Architecture in Ankara. You will find here information, pictures, sketches and drawings of several projects from the Early Republican Period of Turkish Architecture.

Enjoy your visit,

Team ARA.