The Dialectics of Urban and Architectural Boundaries in the Middle East and the Mediterranean (The Urban Book Series)

This edited volume informs readers about changing norms and meanings of borders and underlines recent scenarios that shape these borders. It focuses mainly on the Mediterranean and Middle East regions through the following questions: What are the social, cultural, philosophical, political, economic and aesthetic reasons for spatial segregation within contemporary territories and cities? In the world of globalization and networks, what are the new limitations of space? What are the alienating differences between interior and exterior, private and public, urban and rural, local and global, and real and virtual? Are spatial definitions and divisions more likely to be weakened (if not totally erased) by effects of globalization and mobility, similar to the dissolution of borders between countries? Or are local practices and measures likely to become more apparent with emerging trends such as sustainability and identity? Authored by international scholars, all chapters are arranged under four main parts: Urban and Rural, Global and Local, Physical and Sensual, Real and Virtual. Hence, different concepts and definitions of borders along with varying methods and tools for questioning their essence in architectural and urban spaces will be introduced. For example, in the rural and urban context, environments, settlements-housing, landscape, transformation, conservation and development; in the global and local context, styles, identity, universal design, sustainability, globalization and networks, mobility and migration; in the physical and sensual context, design studies and methodologies, environmental psychology, aesthetic reasoning, sense of place and well-being, and in the real and virtual context, realities, tools and communities are the main themes of the chapters. This book will be an essential source for professionals, scholars, and students of architecture and urban design with a view to understanding multidisciplinary perspectives in designing borders as well as the dialectical relationship between borders and space. Preface 6 Contents 8 Part I Transdisciplinary Thinking for Conceptualising Borders and Boundaries 10 1 Assessments of Edirne’s Past, Present and Future as a Border City 18 1.1 The Border and ‘Border Town’ Concept 19 1.1.1 ‘Border’ Concept as a Physical, Socio-Cultural and Political Fact 19 1.1.2 Border Studies and the Interdisciplinary Approach 21 1.1.3 The Opportunities and Risks of Border Towns 23 1.2 Edirne City Location and the Changes that Occurred Throughout History 25 1.2.1 Location of the City of Edirne 25 1.2.2 Edirne’s History and Development 26 1.3 Assessments of Edirne’s Present and Future as a Border City 38 1.4 Conclusion 42 References 44 2 The Porosity of Borders: Between Formal and Informal Urban Patterns 48 2.1 Introduction 49 2.2 Theoretical Framework: Discontinuity and/or Porosity 51 2.2.1 Problem of Discontinuity 51 2.2.2 Potential of Porosity 55 2.3 Re-Design in-Between Space 58 2.4 Conclusion 61 References 62 3 Borders Defining Urban Enclaves: Case Studies from Istanbul 65 3.1 Introduction 65 3.2 Mixed-Used Projects as Urban Enclaves 67 3.3 An Examination of Mixed-Use Projects in Istanbul Through Borders Defining Urban Enclaves 71 3.3.1 A City Made of Fragmentations: Development of Mixed-Use Projects in Istanbul 71 3.3.2 General Information About Projects Selected for Case Study 73 3.3.3 Reading the Effects of Borders Defining Urban Enclaves on Selected Cases 74 3.4 Results 82 3.5 Conclusion 83 References 84 4 From Galata to Pera: Shifting Borders in Ottoman Society (1453–1923) 87 4.1 Galata in an Historical Perspective: From a Genoese Colony to a Cosmopolitan Town 88 4.2 Urban Transformation and Architecture in Galata and Pera in the Late Ottoman Period 94 4.3 Conclusion 101 References 102 Part II Ceci N’est Pas Un Citron: Habitat Vs Architecture 104 5 On the “Borderline” of Postmodern and Global: Forms, Images, Metaphors in Architecture 107 5.1 Modern and Postmodern as General Conceptions 107 5.2 Architecture 109 5.3 A Reading of Selected Architecture Based on Modern Vs. Postmodern Paradigms 112 5.3.1 Pompidou Centre, Paris, France, 1972–1977 114 5.3.2 Gunma Prefectural Museum, Takasaki, Japan, 1974 114 5.3.3 City Museum in Mönchengladbach, Germany, 1972–82 115 5.3.4 Teatro Del Mondo, Venice, Italy, 1980 116 5.3.5 Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University Campus, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 1983–89 116 5.3.6 Arab World Institute, Paris, France, 1981–87 117 5.3.7 Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, India, 1986–90 117 5.3.8 Milli Reasurans Building Complex, Istanbul, Turkey, 1985–92 118 5.4 Discussion and Interpretation—‘The Borderline Architecture’ 118 5.5 Conclusion 122 References 123 6 Culture and Identity in the Global Context: Transformation of Locality 125 6.1 Introduction 126 6.2 Identities 127 6.2.1 Identity Based on Locality 127 6.2.2 Global/Transcultural Identity 131 6.3 Culture and Identity Aspects in Spatial Organization 132 6.3.1 Traditional Approach in the Formation of Spaces 132 6.3.2 Contemporary Transformation of Spatial Organization 135 6.4 Conclusion and Final Remarks 137 References 138 7 Small Icons with Wide Borders: The Semiotics of Micro-Mobility in Urban Space 140 7.1 Introduction: Urban Semiotics 141 7.2 Mobile Technology and City Media for a ‘Smarter’, ‘Experimental’ and ‘Poetical’ Urban Space 143 7.3 Case Study: The Semiotics of Evolving Micro-Mobility Trends in Istanbul 145 7.3.1 A Smarter Urban Space via QR Codes 147 7.3.2 An Experimental Urban Space via QR Codes 149 7.3.3 A Poetical Urban Space via QR Codes 151 7.4 Discussion 152 References 154 8 Rethinking the Paradigm of High-Performance Design: New Borders Between Vernacular and Contemporary Approaches 157 8.1 Introduction 158 8.2 Vernacular Architecture and the Design Hierarchy 159 8.2.1 Settlement Location and Configuration 159 8.2.2 Building Design 161 8.2.3 Envelope Scale 162 8.2.4 Component and Material Scale 163 8.3 Contemporary Approaches and the Re-Evolution of the Borders for High Performance 163 8.3.1 Setting New Borders: A Bibliometric Analysis 165 8.3.2 Method of the Analysis 165 8.3.3 Results 165 8.4 Conclusion 167 References 169 Part III Boundaries and Spaces: Physical and Perceptual 172 9 Fading Boundaries: Insights on Learning “in Between” the Classroom Spaces 180 9.1 Introduction 181 9.2 Defining Boundaries and Borders 181 9.3 The Impact of Spatial Design on Learning Experiences 182 9.4 Learning Beyond the Classroom 183 9.5 Reading the Boundary-Related Issues at Schools with Conventional Layouts: A Field Study in Turkish Primary Schools 184 9.6 Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis Procedures 185 9.7 Highlights from the Findings of the Survey with the Teachers 186 9.8 Highlights from the Findings of the Second Phase 189 9.9 Re-Imagining of Boundaries in Turkish Primary Schools: Blurring the Borders 192 9.10 Conclusion 194 References 195 10 Here Today Gone Tomorrow: The Invisible Boundaries of Periodic Markets 197 10.1 Introduction 197 10.2 Theoretical Background of Periodic Markets 200 10.3 Characteristics of Istanbul Periodic Markets 201 10.4 History of Periodic Markets in Istanbul 204 10.5 Periodic Markets’ Buyers and Sellers 205 10.6 Periodic Markets Create Negative Impacts with Their Invisible Boundaries 206 10.7 Conclusions 207 References 209 11 Future Sociability in Public Spaces 212 11.1 Introduction 213 11.2 Role and Evolution of Public Spaces 216 11.2.1 The Physical Dimensions of Public Places 216 11.2.2 People’s Behavior in Public Space 218 11.2.3 The Virtual Boundaries of Public Space 220 11.3 The Technological Facet of Public Space 221 11.3.1 Bring the Virtual into the Real Life of Public Spaces 223 11.3.2 AR as a New Way to Perceive and Interact with Space 224 11.4 Social Practices in Public Places, The Case of Ortaköy 226 11.4.1 How Many? 227 11.4.2 Who? 229 11.4.3 Where? 231 11.4.4 What? 232 11.4.5 How Long? 232 11.4.6 Concluding Remarks from the Analytical Survey 234 11.5 The Expansion of Digital Life 235 11.5.1 The Development of Digital Public Place 235 11.5.2 The Future Forms of Social Interactions in Ortaköy 236 11.6 Conclusion 238 References 239 12 Mapping Borders in Urban Aesthetics: A Brief History Since Early Modernism 241 12.1 Defining Borders in Urban Aesthetics 242 12.2 Mapping the “Already-Defined”: Urban Aesthetics in Early and Late Modernism 243 12.3 Melting Borders: Urban Aesthetic Notions Toward the Postmodern City 248 12.4 Perceiving Shifting Images: Drawing the Boundaries or Accepting the Unexpected 252 12.4.1 Mapping the Unmappable: Deleuzian Way of Reading Ultimate Transformative Character of Post-Industrial City 254 References 261 13 The Border Between Perceptual and Physical Urban Space: An Aural Encounter 263 13.1 Introduction 263 13.2 Evaluation of Sound Environment 264 13.2.1 Objective Evaluation 264 13.2.2 Subjective Evaluation 265 13.3 Perception of Sound in Urban Open Spaces 267 13.3.1 Urban Squares 268 13.3.2 Urban Streets 272 13.3.3 Urban Green Spaces 274 13.3.4 Historic Open Spaces 276 13.4 Conclusion 278 References 279 Epilogue 282 References 285 Index 286