Turgut Cansever

City Planning Specialist, Architect

Birth
12 September, 1921
Death
22 February, 2009
Education
State Fine Arts Academy Department of Master Architecture
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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).

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