Architect, urbanism
specialist (B. 12 September 1921, Antalya – D. 22 February 2009, Istanbul). He
is the son of Dr. Hasan Ferit Cansever who is one of the founders of Turkish
Hearths. He spent his childhood in Bursa
and graduated from State Fine Arts Academy’s Department of Master Architecture
(1946). He completed his PhD in Istanbul University’s
History of Arts Department in 1949. Between 1947 and 51 he worked as an
academic member in the State Fine Arts Academy and founded his own architecture
office in 1951. He worked as a planning advisor for Istanbul Municipality in 1957
and realized the first works about Istanbul Metropolitan Development Form and
developed solution alternatives. He participated to the foundation works of the
Development Plan Law and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in 1957. He
became an associate professor in 1960 and served for two semesters in METU
Faculty of Architecture as a diploma project supervisor. He enabled the
foundation of Istanbul Municipality’s
Directorate of Planning in 1961 and prepared Istanbul Transition Period’s
Structural Plan. He worked as an advisor in the Ministry of Public Works and
Housing and Head of the Office of Structural Plan between 1974 and 75. He
undertook consultancy duties between 1975–80 in fields such as Istanbul
Metropolitan Development Plan in the Istanbul
Municipality, Metropolis planning in Ankara Municipality in 1980,
new settlements, town centers and security issues. He supervised a diploma
project for one semester in 1980
in Edirne State Engineering
Architecture Academy
(Trakya
University)
Department of Architecture. He worked in 1983 in University
of Mecca
as an educational program preparation consultant. The same year he was elected
to the jury of Aga Khan Architecture Prize.
Cansever who gave
importance to environmental and cultural values at his designs and applications
in various fields and at his approach to modern architecture’s problems
published numerous articles on architecture and problems of town. He brought
forward his theoretical views concerning the universality and locality in
architecture, standards and diversity, genetic issues of architecture and
decoration on his applications. He won the Aga Khan Architecture Prize for
three times with his works: 1980 Turkish
Historical Society
Building (with Ertur Yener, 1951–67, Ankara), Renovation of
Ahmet Ertegün’s House (1971–73, Bodrum) and 1992 with M. Öğün, E. Öğün, F.
Cansever. Since Cansever could interpret traditional Turkish architecture and
modern architecture successfully he received the 2005 Culture and Arts Major
Prize by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and besides various national and
international degrees in competitions.
Although he won in 1958
Diyarbakır College’s Competition with Ertur Yener and Mehmet Tataroğlu and the
International Project Competition of Middle East Technical University in 1960
these projects were not realized. Also his projects of Ankara National Museum prepared in 1980, Avanos Kaya Hotel
in 1984, housing projects developed for Ankara Batıkent, Project of Muğla
Yağcılar Hanı were not realized. Among his realized projects can be mentioned
Sadullah Paşa Yalısı restoration in Çengelköy (1949–51, Istanbul),
Karatepe Open
Air Museum
(1957, Adana), Çürüksulu Ahmet Paşa Yalısı in
Salacak, Renovation of Muharrem Nuri Birgi House (1968–71, Istanbul),
Rafet Ataç House (1986–89, Burgazada, Istanbul),
Akın Residence (1989–92, Vaniköy, Istanbul),
Underwater Archeological Institute (1988, Bodrum).
WORKS:
Selçuklu ve Osmanlı
Mimarisinde Üslup Gelişmeleri (1949), Modern Mimarinin Temel Meseleleri
(1960), Thoughts and Architecture (1981), Şehir ve Mimari (his
writings and interviews done with him, 1992), Ev ve Şehir (1994), Kubbeyi
Nereye Koymamak (1997), İslamda Şehir ve Mimarı (1997), İstanbul’u
Anlamak (1998).
