Istanbul’s Modernist Ataköy Housing Estate is At Risk

Icons at Risk is an international initiative to preserve the world’s most endangered modern houses of unique architectural importance following in the footsteps of the Iconic Houses network for house museums. Many of the world’s most iconic modern homes are being lost due – largely – to being as yet unrecognized as ‘heritage’. Those from the second half of the 20th century are especially vulnerable lacking any legislative protection. We need to act now or risk losing them forever. What can be done to save them? Icons at Risk sets out to answer that question. In this endeavor efforts focus on the rapidly vanishing at-risk sector of new heritage. Raising public awareness and supporting house owners to take action are the main ways in which Icons at Risk will aim to slow the loss of important 20th-century homes.

Fortunately, there are action groups, both grass roots initiatives and professional organizations, that take action with petitions to convince public opinion and that of those in power about the importance of the conservation of recent heritage. You can also support these calls to action with your voice, your signature, or by supporting them financially. Some examples are Binotto House, Sirius Building, Willert Park Courts and the recently added petition to Save Ataköy. You can make a difference by signing the petitions!

Architectural Highlights
Ataköy Housing Estate (1964) in Bakırköy, is a new-town morphology satellite settlement located on the western development corridor of Istanbul along the Marmara shore in Turkey. It was designed by Baruthane Project Office, dir. Ertuğrul Menteşe, consultant Luigi Piccinato. Türkiye Emlak Kredi Bank’s project reflects the changes in building development and housing policies of Turkey in the last 70 years. Phases I and II has 2-13 storey-high 90 blocks, 1514 apartments in 16 types, 2+1 - 7+1 and 93-248m2. Criticized for its socio-economic aspects in the 1960s, the project is distinguished with its reinterpretation of post-war modern tendencies, total design and planning approach and spatial quality. The Elementary School, designed by Muhteşem Giray in 1957-62, reflects similar tendencies.

Threat
Docomomo Turkey has been campaigning for the designation of the site since 2005 but has so far been successful in designating the Elementary School in 2006. The beach was replaced with a shopping mall and marina in the 1980s whereas the motels and camping on the shore were replaced with high-rise development after 2008, ending the relationship of the estate with the sea. Since the 1999 Marmara earthquake, disaster risk has become a pretext for profit-oriented urban transformation and regeneration, some of which have already resulted in partial losses and additions to the context.
This campaign aims to preserve the design and physical integrity of the estate through designation as an urban site and using structural strengthening techniques against current trends of demolishing and rebuilding of individual housing blocks.

Support the Campaign
Save Ataköy Housing Estate

For the latest news, literature references and a video of Docomomo Turkey’s Modern Heritage Agenda 2022/2023 event (in Turkish) held on April 5, 2024, we refer to the new Icon at Risk page dedicated to Ataköy.

Posted June 18, 2024