workshop__
on computational design techniques // Rhinoceros/Grasshopper
This workshop is organized by Istanbul Technical University, Graduate School of Science Engineering
and Technology, Architectural Design Computing Graduate Program and by DME of
Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Germany.
theme__
For springterm’s “computational design”-workshop we want to look at Istanbul as one of today’s
most important and vibrant places of intercultural cohabitation. A part of our fascination with the
city comes with Istanbul’s role as a major crosscultural hub of arrival and gathering in between
Europe and Asia. Historically as well as today the city shows fascinating socio-cultural, temporal
and local dynamics. Having been a melting pot of cultures over the centuries, the citizens of Istanbul
vividly negotiate the role and rules of their society until today. It is this specific tension between
religions, societal role models and the urban body of the city that has led its inhabitants to form
and build some of the most significant places of togetherness and gathering – whether these are
driven by religion (such as Aya Sofya), economics (like bazars such as Kapalı Çarşı), culture
(such as AKM), sports (such as Fenerbahçe Sükrü Saracoglu Stadi) or politics (like the City Hall
in Şehzadebaşı).
Traditionally many of these architectural and societal icons were made from vault-structures and
cupolas – sometimes housing different religions under one roof. And in history these aggregated
vaults had significant structural and climatic advantages – while the grandeur of these structures
resulted in very specific architectural affects. Interestingly western Modernism widely replaced the
ambition to construct intricate and appealing vaulted spaces with the efficiency of flat slab structures.
We think that this is a loss.
Therefore we want to use vault aggregations to formulate new spaces of gathering within the city
of Istanbul.
date__
14.-19. April 2014
Istanbul Technical University
Architectural Design Computi ng Graduate Program
Download Poster:
Istanbul places of gathering. on vaults