The image of modernity: An examination of early republic housing projects in Turkey 1930–1939

Abstract

Modern heritage encompasses not only the physical structures but also the narratives, ideas, and sociohistorical dynamics associated with them. This study explores the multifaceted aspects of modern heritage in Turkey, focusing on early republic housing projects built between 1930 and 1939. Tracing the signs of being “modern” in residential architecture, this research proposes that Kemalist reforms affecting social life served as tools to alter appearances, and behind that image, the persistence of the cultural and social life was hidden. Analyzing projects in Arkitekt journal, it identifies traditional living patterns in so‐called modern houses, emphasizing the impossibility of copying‐and‐pasting modernity. In Turkey, modernity was neither unequivocally endorsed nor rejected; instead, it intertwined with existing social structures, creating a unique entity. Thus, it concludes that the value of early republic Turkish modern residentials lies not in formal similarities to European forms of modernism but in a transcultural understanding that embraces diverse expressions of modernity.