Sedad Hakkı Eldem'in çeşitlenen mimarlığını yumak metaforu bağlamında okumak: Alternatif bir anlatının ilk sarmalları
Reading Sedad Hakkı Eldem's diversified architectural productions in the context of the skein metaphor: Initial windings of an alternative narrative
Yazar: ÖMER FARUK TEKİN
Danışman: PROF. DR. MEHMET MURAT GÜL
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü / Mimarlık Ana Bilim Dalı / Mimarlık Tarihi Bilim Dalı
Derece: Doktora, 2024
Konu: Mimarlık = Architecture

Özet:
Sedad Hakkı Eldem, 1930'ların başında başlayan ve ömrünün sonuna dek sürdürdüğü verimli meslek kariyeri boyunca kimisi inşa edilmemiş çok sayıda yapı tasarlamış, çeşitli ölçeklerdeki sivil mimari örneklerini belgeleyerek kitaplar halinde yayınlamış ve mimarlık üzerine düşüncelerini içeren bazı metinler yazmıştır. Bunun yanı sıra 1930 yılı öncesindeki çocukluk ve gençlik yıllarında tuttuğu defterlere sayısız çizim yapmış ve kimisi günlük biçiminde çok sayıda not almıştır. Daha önce çok az bir kısmının yayınlandığı bu çizim ve notlarla birlikte Eldem'in meslek yaşamına ait fotoğraf, proje, yazışma, mekup, çizim vs içeren binlerce evrakın bir bölümü, ilk kez 2008 ve 2009 yıllarındaki sergi ve kitap çalışmaları kapsamında taranarak sergilenmiş ve ilerleyen yıllarda da erişime açılmıştır. Sedad Hakkı Eldem'in kişiliğiyle birlikte alabildiğine çeşitlilik içeren tüm bu notlar, çizimler, projeler, defterler, evraklar Eldem mimarlığının bütününü oluşturmaktadırlar.
Günümüze değin Sedad Hakkı Eldem ve mimarlığı, çeşitli yönleriyle ele alınarak tezler, sempozyumlar, kitaplar, makaleler ve söyleşilerle zengin bir literatür oluşturulmuş ancak bu literatür genellikle onun 1930 yılı sonrası üretimlerine odaklanmıştır. Bununla birlikte görece az sayıda olsa da Eldem'in çocukluk ve gençlik dönemi üretimlerini merkeze alan çalışmalara da rastlanılmakla ancak tez literatüründe bu üretimler üzerine bir çalışmanın yapılmadığı görülmektedir. Bu çalışma özellikle tez literatüründeki bu boşluğu doldurmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu hedefle ilişkili olarak, bu üretimleri ve bu üretimlere değinen çalışmaları ele alarak, Eldem'in çocukluk ve gençlik dönemi çalışmalarının Eldem literatürünü zenginleştirme yönündeki potansiyeline dikkat çekmek çalışmanın ikincil hedefi olarak belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın nihai amacı ise, Eldem mimarlığının hayat öyküsüyle birlikte süreklilik arz eden bir bütün olduğunu söyleyerek bu süreklilikleri ve Eldem mimarlığının oluşumundaki etkilenme güzergahlarını ortaya çıkaran alternatif bir Eldem mimarlığı anlatısı kurgulamaktır. Bu amaçla Carlo Emilio Gadda'nın bir romanında geçen yumak metaforu ve Italo Calvino'nun bu metafor üzerine yorumlarını kullanarak bir anlatı kurgusu oluşturulmuş ve Eldem mimarlığı bir yumak olarak ele alınmıştır. Çalışmanın kapsamı ve sınırları dolayısıyla bu yumak kurgusunu, Sedad Hakkı Eldem'in çocukluk ve gençlik döneminde tuttuğu defterlerde bulunan sayısız çizim ve notlar ve bu döneme ait hatıralarıyla birlikte 1985 ve 1986 yıllarında yapılan ancak oldukça geç bir tarihte, 2014'te kitap şeklinde yayınlanan söyleşiler üzerinden oluşturur. Eldem'in mimarlık hakkındaki düşüncelerinin, yapıları üzerine söylemlerinin ve anılarının yer aldığı ve Eldem literatüründe yeteri kadar referans verilmemiş bu kitap, bu tez çalışmasında kullanılacak özgün veriler sağlamaktadır. Tez çalışması belirli bir döneme ve üretimlere odaklansa da yumağı hissettirecek biçimde çeşitli zamansal ve mekânsal sıçramalarla, bu üretimleri Eldem'in çeşitli projeleriyle ilişkilendirir. Yumak kurgusu, meslek yaşamındaki üretkenliği ve üretimlerindeki çeşitliliği Eldem'in çocukluk yıllarından itibaren sürdürdüğünü ve bu süreklilik içerisinde giderek rafineleşen bir yorumlama pratiği geliştirerek ve çocukluktan itibaren geleneksel olanı çağdaş bir biçimde yorumlama gayreti içerisinde olduğunu ortaya çıkarır. 
Çalışma, çok boyutlu bir yumak olarak ele aldığı Eldem mimarlığını, yine başka bir çok boyutluluk sergilediğini söylediği eleştirel bölgeselcilik kuramı üzerinden çözmeden, olağan çokluğu içerisine yerleştirmeye çalışarak alternatif bir okuma denemesi yapar. 1980'lerde ortaya atılan ancak temelleri 1920'lere uzanan tartışmalarla atılan bu kuramın tartışageldiği bölgeselcilik, modernizm, yerellik, evrensellik gibi olguların, Eldem'in yazıları ve yapılarıyla örtüşen ve ayrışan noktalarına kuramın söylemi ve altmetni bağlamında değinir. Çalışmanın kendisine çizdiği tarihsel sınırlar çerçevesinde ele aldığı bu iki olguyla, Eldem mimarlığının, bu kuramın geleneksel olanın taklide ve yersizleştirici modernizme düşülmeden güncel bir biçimde yeniden üretilmesi yönündeki söylemiyle örtüştüğü ancak tarihsel olanın muhafaza edilmesi noktasında ayrıştığını ifade eder.
Bu çalışma boyunca defterler üzerindeki odakla, bir yandan Eldem mimarlığının oluşumundaki temel etkilenme güzergahları açığa çıkarılırken diğer yandan da literatürde henüz yeteri kadar ilgi görmemiş Eldem'in çocukluk ve gençlik dönemi üretimlerini yeniden gündeme getirilir. Bunun yanı sıra eleştirel bölgeselcilik kuramı üzerine Türkçe literatürün zenginleştirilmesi ve bu kuramın Eldem'in üretimlerini tartışmada taşıdığı potansiyele değinilmesi gibi bir misyon yüklenilir.

Abstract:
There is a significant body of literature that evaluates Eldem's architectural contributions. The authors who have contributed to the Eldem literature through their published texts, prepared exhibitions, participated in symposia, and written theses have sought to enrich the relevant literature by addressing Eldem and his architecture from various perspectives. However, these studies primarily focus on Eldem's works produced after 1930. Nevertheless, there are also studies addressing Eldem's works from before 1930. However, these studies mostly provide readings based on a few selected drawings of Eldem or his memoirs and notes from notebooks kept during those years. Although some works briefly mention Eldem's early period in their introduction sections, there is almost no study specifically dedicated to Eldem's early works in thesis literature. In this context, this thesis aims to achieve certain objectives. The first of these is to fill the gap mentioned in the literature by focusing on Eldem's pre-1930 productions. Another related goal of the thesis is to highlight its potential to diversify and enrich the literature by bringing Eldem's early works, which came up in 2008 but have not been written about for a long time, back into discussion. The ultimate aim of the thesis is to emphasize the necessity of examining all of Eldem's productions in conjunction with his life story and to create a continuous narrative of Eldem's architecture. Within specific temporal boundaries, the second section of the thesis has been structured to develop and sustain a narrative within the context of Eldem's architecture. 
In order to offer an alternative outlook, this study considers Eldem's designs, texts, and life stories as parts of an inseparable whole to understand his architecture. Using a metaphor from one of the Carlo Emilio Gadda's novels, the study treats this whole as a 'skein'. Based on this metaphor and Italo Calvino's interpretations on this metaphor, this study claims that Eldem's life story, drawings, buildings and texts are simultaneously constitutes a whole and it can be grasped as a skein. While Eldem's acquaintances, the places he visited, the buildings he saw, the magazines he perused, and the texts he read form the points within the skein; the sketches he drew, the buildings he designed, the texts he wrote, and his discourses are considered as the productions that make visible the connections bewteen these points. 
For this purpose, information on the skein metaphor has given in the first part of the second chapter. In his novels, Gadda tries "to represent the world as a knot, a tangled skein of yarn; to represent it without in the least diminishing the inextricable complexity or, put it better, the simultaneous presence of the most disparate elements that converge to determine every event." Based on this skein representation, Calvino develops his own ideas and interprets this metaphor. According to him, this metaphor has a potential to define a universe of infinite relationships in which every object, every event, and every subject is in relation with each other. He claims that, many writers have put the theme of the 'universe of infinite relations' on their agenda by establishing "the network that connects everything" or "a system in which everything is in infinite relations with everything else. In such a setup, everything possible comes true with all of its possibilities. This approach demonstrates how difficult it is to write about the sophisticated reality of human life, which consists of experiences, information, and actions in its simplest form. Based on this approach, this study considers the architectural practice of Sedad Hakkı Eldem, who designed numerous projects under the influence of various geographical and cultural influences, as a skein, emphasizing the multi-layered character and potential of his architecture. Eldem's architectural production, which cannot be classified in one fell swoop, his texts in which continuity can be traced more easily compared to the diversity of his buildings, his discourses, and his life story/family ties, are considered as the ropes of the skein. It places Eldem's notebooks, which contain various drawings and notes from his childhood and Academy years and have not been given enough attention in Eldem's literature at the center of this skein.
In this context, the second part of the second chapter dedicates itself to define this skein. This skein's inital nodes and windings were wound during childhood years and throughout Eldem's Academy and ikmal-i tahsil years continued to expand. During chilhood years Eldem developed a keen interest in drawing and architecture. As an extension of this interest, he perused books and magazines on architecture in the libraries of the houses where he stayed. He cut out photographs of buildings from the magazines, pasted them in his notebooks, and created drawings inspired by them. He indulged in observing construction sites in his neighborhood where traditional methods were employed. He was influenced by the unity of style and materials offered by Munich's old building stock, as well as the city's commitment to preserving its historic fabric. Following his experiences and acquaintances in Europe, he became determined to study architecture.
During his studies at Sanayi-i Nefise, he explored Istanbul and several Anatolian cities. During these trips, not only did he study buildings such as mosques, hans, and palaces, but he also developed an interest in traditional civil architecture that would shape his architectural practice and discourse throughout his life. He often took different routes to the Academy to be able to examine and sketch civil buildings along the way. His interest in civil architecture continued in these cities, leading him to document the historical fabric through photographs, sketches of buildings, and detailed drawings of materials and joints. Eldem's studies during his student years marked a distinctive point, both within the context of the classical education he received at the academy and in the architectural practice of that period. His fascination with historical urban patterns that 'came into existence almost spontaneously.
Upon graduating from the Academy in 1928, Eldem received an 'ikmal-i tahsil' scholarship, covering a three-year trip to Europe, during which he enjoyed significant freedom in deciding how to spend his time. Throughout this journey, he preferred to itinerate among various places, explore different architectural issues, and work in various offices with different architects, rather than committing to a specific office or research topic. Between 1928 and 1930, he traveled to France, England, and Germany. During his 'ikmal-i tahsil' years, Eldem diligently documented his drawings, thoughts on architecture, experiences, and notes by maintaining a notebook—a practice he had followed since childhood. His vast collection of notebooks, dating back to his early years, consists of notes primarily written in German, French, and Turkish, accompanied by countless drawings—an unusual practice for architects of any period. These notebooks are a valuable resource, providing insights into how Eldem's individuality, architectural thinking, and practice were shaped. 
In the third chapter of this study, literature evaluating Eldem's—particularly early years—productions are discussed with a critical gaze. Writers such as Sibel Bozdoğan, Uğur Tanyeli, Esra Akcan and Serena Acciai used these productions in their some texts. For instance, Bozdoğan constructed an alternative narrative centered on Eldem's early inspirations from Mediterranean vernacular architecture, using two drawings and notes dating back to the beginning of his academic years. Akcan dedicates a section to Eldem's early drawings. She interprets these drawings as products of a subtle "translation," making a notable contribution to the literature. Acciai's work primarily based on Eldem's travels and his fascination with Istanbul, employs a poetic language and demonstrates the possibility of a narrative that transcends convention.
The fourth part of the study incorporates the theory of critical regionalism, which emerged in the early 1980s as a critical response to regionalism based on imitation and the displacement resulting from universal modernism, in order to offer an alternative reading This theory provides a valuable framework for achieving the study's objectives. It argues that critical regionalism, characterized by its multi-layered reference system encompassing discourse, subtext, critique, and criticisms directed against it, can serve as a useful tool for comprehending Eldem's architecture without unraveling its multi-layered integrity. To this purpose, a brief informantion on the history of critical regionalism is given in the first part of this chapter. The enduring influence and widespread acceptance of critical regionalism in comparison to other regionalist movements can be attributed to the extensive body of literature and theoretical development it has received since its inception. Prominent figures such as Frampton, Tzonis, and Lefaivre have contributed significantly to the discourse surrounding critical regionalism. They have penned numerous texts on this concept from the early 1980s to the 2000s. While Frampton explores the boundaries of critical regionalism through various architectural examples, Tzonis and Lefaivre, who coined the term, have worked on establishing its theoretical underpinnings. This theoretical framework encompasses a wide spectrum of influences, from regional architecture and Vitruvius's ideas on Rome to the English picturesque garden movement, romantic regionalism, and the nationalist movements of the 1930s, extending to the commodification of regionalism within consumer culture in the 1980s. 
In the following part, critical regionalims theory's discourse and subtext are defined and discussed through various texts and Eldem's productions, both in built and written form, are evaluated within this discourse and subtext. In the discourse part, it is written briefly: There are two primary criticisms leveled at the discourse of critical regionalism. The first critique addresses the universal practice of modernism, which tends to produce a sense of placelessness by disregarding local values. This brand of modernism envisions an architecture that can be conceived and executed anywhere in the world, regardless of the specific characteristics of the location. The second criticism centers on the decontextualization of local and regional values and their superficial incorporation as commodities within consumer culture. Eldem's quest for a balanced architectural approach dates back to his student days. While advocating for modernism on one hand, he simultaneously worked towards preserving the essence of traditional architecture and culture. He is criticizing not the concept of modernism itself but its practice, which often disregarded local values and reduced architecture to mere forms. Nonetheless, Eldem maintained an enduring interest in traditional civil architecture from his student days until the end of his life, and this interest was not rooted in romanticism or nostalgia. In the subtext part it is written briefly: Critical regionalism serves as a "modernist counter-reaction against the (historical) postmodernist reaction." Its key distinction from other regionalist movements in Europe lies in its emphasis on place rather than time. While Frampton, Tzonis, and Lefaivre critique the diminished role of historicism in their works, later writings reveal attempts to downplay its historical dimension. This poses a dilemma since the concept of regionalism is intrinsically connected to history. Various strategies have been proposed to address this issue. One radical yet somewhat weak and ineffective strategy suggests discarding the concept of regionalism due to its associations with sentimentality, nostalgia, and chauvinism, which can be linked to historical themes. It proposes substituting it with the concept of realism. An enduring strategy, aimed at mitigating this impasse, involves enriching the theoretical foundation with numerous examples. This approach expands the theoretical confines of critical regionalism. This expansion operates in two directions: it blurs the theory itself and shifts the focus from the historical to the tectonic. By expanding its boundaries and blurring its focus on history, critical regionalism leans towards the "progressive" and "liberating" aspects of modernism, distancing itself from historical symbolism, emotional associations, and national connotations. In contrast, Eldem deliberately incorporates historicity into his buildings, refraining from abstracting traditional elements beyond comprehension. He employs materials of his era and tailors his designs to accommodate programmatic or contextual requirements. He values buildings that establish a connection with people, evoke a distinct identity, and instill a sense of belonging.
At the end of the fouth chapter, it is claimed that while critical regionalism aims to safeguard local cultures from the potential erasure brought about by top-down universal modernism, it may inadvertently or unconsciously reverse this equation, ultimately dissolving these very cultures it seeks to protect from the bottom-up. At this juncture, critical regionalism may begin to "appear to be resisting" instead of genuinely resisting. Eldem's architecture, which places a premium on history, should be regarded as a form of resistance against the tendency of critical regionalism to diminish historical elements. Eldem's architecture doesn't represent the localized adaptation of a universal architectural style; instead, it constitutes a practice where experiences are drawn upon, assimilated, and interpreted within the framework of its own local values.