# Sedad Hakkı Eldem

Sedad Hakkı Eldem (31 August 1908 – 7 September 1988) was a Turkish architect and proponent of nationalized modern architecture in Turkey.

## Biography

Eldem was born in Istanbul in 1908. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Architecture. Between 1931 and 1932, he traveled to France, England, and Germany on a scholarship from the academy. In 1932, he opened his own office and began teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts, continuing until his retirement in 1978. In 1934, he participated in the National Architecture Seminar in Turkey, where disagreements arose between those who preferred modern architecture and those favoring traditional architecture. In 1938, he designed the Turkish Pavilion for the New York Exhibition. After Second World War, Eldem represented Turkey at the International Union of Architects in Lozan in 1948. The same year, Eldem also collaborated with his colleague Emin Onat on the Istanbul Justice Palace. He studied the proportions and architecture of domestic houses, palaces, and mansions from the Ottoman of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was a member of the Former Artifacts Maintenance Council (Eski Eserleri Muhafaza Encümeni) between 1941 and 1945 and also a member of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Monument Real Estate (Gayrimenkul Eski Eserler ve Anıtlar Yüksek Kurulu) between 1962 and 1978.
Eldem aimed to nationalize modern architecture, believing that the international style should be adapted to incorporate national and domestic elements, rather than being applied uniformly.
He won the international Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1986 for the Zeyrek Social Security Facilities.
He died on 7 September 1988 in Istanbul.

## Architecture

Eldem's architectural career can be divided into four main periods. The first period, from 1928 to 1934, is characterized by inconsistency in his work. The second period, spanning from 1934 to 1952, is marked by modern adaptations of Ottoman architectural principles. From 1952 to 1962, his third period saw a decline in Ottoman influence and a move towards more modern designs. The final era, from 1962 until his death in 1988, is noted for his dual approach to projects.

### First period

* The years between 1928 and 1934 are considered Eldem's formative years. During this time, he worked in Istanbul, Paris, and Berlin, but none of his architectural work from this period remains. The only structure built during this time was a temporary Turkish pavilion for the Budapest Exhibition in 1931, which offers limited insight into his architectural explorations. Eldem experimented with various approaches popular at the time, attempting to combine contradictory elements by incorporating different architectural styles into a single design. For example, the embassy project in Paris shows the influence of Auguste Perret in its details, while its plan incorporates traditional middle "sofa" and "Eyvan" elements typical of Turkish architecture. He also drew inspiration from the Cihar-bağ scheme, common in Iran and the Middle East. During this period he studied the styles of Art Deco, Le Corbusier, Hoffmann, Olbrich, Tessenow and Webb. Despite his stylistic experimentation, he remained committed to researching traditional Ottoman civil architecture, utilizing styles that complemented it.
* Returning from Europe to Istanbul did not stabilize Eldem's architectural style. His early projects in Istanbul display diverse elements. The Ceylan Apartment (1933) exhibits traits of Art Deco, the S.A.T.İ.E. Store and Administration Building (1934) incorporates features of the International Style, and the Firdevs Hanım House (1934) includes elements of Le Corbusier. However, his focus shifted from large, elaborate mansions to more modest houses and buildings, which were published in the journal Arkitekt.

### Second Period

* Eldem's period of stylistic exploration ended with the Yalova Thermal Hotel (1934–1937) and the Ağaoğlu House (1936–1937) projects, marking the beginning of a new era in his architecture. He began to gain recognition in Turkey for his architectural style and approach to modern architecture. The Yalova Thermal Hotel was one of the first nationalized modern works in Turkey. During these years, there was much discussion about interpretation in modern architecture and Eldem became a pioneer defending the idea of nationalized modern architecture.
* From 1934 to 1952, Eldem experimented with incorporating traditional Ottoman house plans and exterior elements into more modernized designs, drawing on his historiographical research. He sought to "invent the tradition" within the modern context of his time. For example, the Ağaoğlu House features an elliptical "sofa", the Safyurtlu House (1942) includes a middle "sofa", and the Ayaşlı Mansion (1938) is designed with a karnıyarık ('split out from the middle') type of "sofa." Some of his projects strongly connected international style and domestic tradition, while in others, traditional Turkish elements were subtle. The Taşlık Coffee House (1947–1948) was designed with a traditional T-shaped plan, minimizing international elements. In contrast, the Admiral Bristol Hospital and Nursing House (1943) appears national only from the outside, while the faculty buildings of Ankara University (1943–1945) and Istanbul University (1942–1947) were inspired by Nazi Germany, with Turkish influence being a minor aspect of the buildings.

### Third Period

* Between 1952 and 1962, Eldem's architecture minimized Ottoman civil architectural characteristics. The Florya Facilities (1955–1959) and Rıza Derviş House (1956–1957) were built in a rationalized modernist style, influenced by "California modern." The design of the Istanbul Hilton (1952–1955) shows little of Eldem's personal architectural style; its standard American appearance is attributed to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) (Gordon Bunshaft) despite Eldem's involvement. The Second Safyurtlu House (1952) is a successful example of late modernism architecture.

### Final Period

* The years after 1960 are known as a period of significant change for both Eldem and the Republic of Turkey. Eldem adopted two distinct approaches during this time. The first was heroic and monumental, moving away from traditional and domestic styles, as seen in the Akbank Administration Building and Ayazağa Office Buildings. The second approach was more characteristic of Eldem, featuring eclectic designs and new interpretations of Ottoman civil architecture, resulting in a unique vocabulary. This included features such as horizontal roof lines, wide canopies, and well-proportioned windows and cantilevers, as seen in the designs of the Zeyrek Social Security Facilities (1962–1964), India Embassy Residence (1965–1968), Kıraç Mansion (1965), and Sirer Mansion (1966–1967).

## List of significant works

* First period of his architecture (1928–1934)
** 1931: Turkish Pavilion in Budapest Exhibition, Budapest
** 1932: Ceylan Apartment in Taksim, Istanbul
** 1932: S.A.T.İ.E. Store and Administration Building in Fındıklı, Istanbul
** 1934: Firdevs Hanım Apartment in Maçka, Istanbul
** 1934: Thermal Hotel in Yalova
** 1936: Ağaoğlu House in Teşvikiye, Istanbul
* Second period of his architecture (1934–1952)
** 1938: Ayaşlı Mansion in Beylerbeyi, Istanbul
** 1942: Safyurtlu Villa in Beşevler, Ankara
** 1942: Istanbul University, Faculty of Science in Beyazit, Istanbul
** 1943: Ankara University, Faculty of Science in Beşeveler, Ankara
** 1943: Admiral Bristol Hospital and Nursing House in Teşvikiye, Istanbul
** 1947: Taşlık Coffee House in Maçka, Istanbul
* Third period of his architecture (1952–1962)
** 1952: Second Safyurtlu House in Yeniköy, Istanbul
** 1955: Florya Facilities in Florya, Istanbul
** 1955: Istanbul Hilton, Istanbul (in collaboration with Gordon Bunshaft in SOM)
** 1956: Rıza Derviş House in Büyükada, Istanbul
** 1956: Uşaklıgil House in Emirgan, Istanbul
* Fourth period of his architecture (1962–and after)
** 1960: India Embassy Residence in Cinnah Street, Ankara
** 1962: Social Security Facilities in Zeyrek, Istanbul
** 1964: Siner Mansion in Yeniköy, Istanbul
** 1965: Kıraç Mansion in Vaniköy, Istanbul
** 1966: Akbank Administration Building in Fındıklı, Istanbul
** 1973: Netherlands Embassy in Ankara
** 1975: Koç House in Tarabya, Istanbul