Author Description

“Istanbul: A metropolis where millions of people live. Construction work in Istanbul never ends, and the horizon line is almost invisible now. Its boundaries keep growing, so much so that it is no longer a city but a region. The historical accumulation of thousands of years comes alive adorned with new faces, or dies, depending on single restorations, the attribution of new functions, demolition and rebuilding projects, as well as numerous urban interventions on varying scales. Even this limited view makes it possible to talk of the existence of a very strong architectural production potential in Istanbul… There are ten universities with architectural faculties. Most of the architectural publications (periodical and otherwise) are printed in Istanbul. What does it mean, one wonders, to exist in this architectural environment in terms of intellectual or physical production and contribution or simply as a witness? If three Istanbulian architects, all under 45, of different architectural practices and approaches started to talk, what issues would come up in this conversation where they brought in their personal experiences and discussed this metropolis and its architecture? How subjective or objective would those issues be? How would these relate to the discourses voiced in Istanbul? “istanbul para-doxa” does not aim to define a perfect architectural environment or to develop new discourses. “istanbul para-doxa” is the product of a discussion unfettered by such concerns, and its most meaningful aspect is that as such, it offers a cross-section of the present.”