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Cengiz Bektaş

チェンギズ・ベクタシュ

Cengiz Bektaş

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1934-11-26 (Denizli, Turkey)
Died
2020-03-20 (Istanbul, Turkey) age 85
Nationality
Turkish
Languages
Turkish, German
Residence History
Denizli, Turkey → Munich, Germany → Ankara, Turkey → Istanbul, Turkey

Career

Occupations
Architect, Poet, Engineer, Writer, Columnist, Educator
Active Years
1959-2020
Affiliations
Middle East Technical University (lecturer), Own architectural practice (Bektaş architectural practice)

Education

Istanbul State Academy of the Fine Arts
Faculty of Architecture / Department of Architecture
Degree: 学士(建築)
Period: 1950s–1959
Year of Graduation: 1959
Country: Turkey
Technical University of Munich
Department of Architecture
Period: 1950s(在学・研修)
Year of Graduation: 1959
Country: Germany
Studied/attended during his time in Munich; graduated in architecture in 1959.

Awards

Aga Khan Award for Architecture
1999
Work: Akdeniz University Olbia Social Center
Organization: Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Result: 受賞
T.C. Bonn Embassy Competition, 1st Prize
1963
Organization: Republic of Turkey
Result: 受賞
T.C. Lisbon Embassy Competition, 3rd Prize
1963
Organization: Republic of Turkey
Result: 受賞
Bakırköy Elderly Site, 1st Prize
1968
Work: Bakırköy Elderly Site
Organization: National architectural competition
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Akdeniz University Olbia Social Center

1999 Architecture (public/community facility)

A university social center designed for community use, emphasizing regional character and communal functions; internationally recognized with an architecture award.

regional identitycommunitylinking tradition and modernity

Mertim (Mersin) skyscraper

1987 Architecture (commercial/skyscraper)

A high-rise mixed-use building in Mersin intended as a local landmark and significant representative project.

urban landmarkurban planning

Etimesgut Mosque

1964 Religious architecture

A mosque designed for a district in Ankara, incorporating traditional elements while respecting local context.

religious architectureharmony with tradition

Public Buildings Art (Halk Yapı Sanatı)

2001 Book (architectural theory)

A work discussing public buildings and their cultural/social roles, advocating for local architectural culture.

publicnessarchitectural cultureconservation and renewal

Babadağ Houses (Babadağ Evleri)

1987 Book (regional architectural study)

A study documenting and analyzing the houses of the Babadağ region near Denizli.

regional studytraditional architecture

Bibliography

  • Public Buildings Art (Halk Yapı Sanatı), 2001
  • Peace Supper (Barış Sofrası), 2001
  • The Seljuk Caravanserai (Selçuklu Kervansarayları), 1999
  • Residential Villas / Toplukonut and Sites / Renovation Work Building Selections 1, 1999
  • Urban or Not To Be (Kentli Olmak ya da Olmamak), 1999
  • Poets Mediterranean (Akdenizli Ozanlar), 1999
  • Let Look, They Say (Bak Bak Desinler), 1998
  • Turkish House (Türk Evi), 1996
  • Culture of Living (Yaşama Kültürü), 1996
  • Not Buy Home, You Obtain Adjacent (Ev Alma Komşu Al), 1996
  • Another Name of Tolerance: Kuzguncuk (Hoşgörünün Öteki Adı: Kuzguncuk), 1996
  • Urban (Kent), 1996
  • Culture Pollution (Kültür Kirlenmesi), 1996
  • Houses of Bird (Kuş Evleri), 1994
  • Protection Repair (Koruma Onarım), 1993
  • Babadağ Houses (Babadağ Evleri), 1987
  • Şirinköy Houses (Şirinköy Evleri), 1987
  • Whose These Streets, Areas, Cities? (Kimin Bu Sokaklar, Alanlar, Kentler?), 1987
  • Kuşadası Houses (Kuşadası Evleri), 1987
  • Akşehir Houses (Akşehir Evleri), 1987
  • Is Nest or Property (Yuva mı Mal mı?), 1983
  • Outside of The Walls is Yours (Duvarların Dışı da Senin), 1982
  • My Son Study Building (Benim Oğlum Bina Okur), 1980
  • Public Buildings Art An Example from: Bodrum (Halk Yapı Sanatından Bir Örnek: Bodrum), 1977
  • Criticism in Architecture (Mimarlıkta Eleştiri), 1967

Style & Themes

Literary Style
poetic proseessayistic/critical writing on architectureemphasis on regionality and tradition
Recurring Motifs
tradition and regional cultureeveryday life and domestic spacesconservation, renewal, and community

Legacy

Cengiz Bektaş made significant contributions to Turkish architecture and cultural discourse. In addition to his built works, he left numerous writings as a poet and author defending regional identity and publicness; as an educator he influenced younger generations. His work is valued for its community-oriented and tradition-respecting approach.

Trivia

  • He also worked as a poet and contributed to the newspaper Evrensel.
  • Spent a period in the 1960s working as a freelance architect in Munich.
  • Alongside his practice, he authored numerous writings and critiques on architecture.