CONSULTANT’S CORNER: Now’s the time to polish Istanbul’s jewels
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gary LACHMAN
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 16, 2009 00:00
Now that I have lived in Istanbul for nearly two years, learned to speak (extremely) basic Turkish (more like Turklish), and walked along the Bosphorus from Beşiktaş to Tarabya, I feel entitled to give a little constructive criticism of my adopted home town.
This city possesses more fantastic and historic architecture than anywhere in the world, yet sometimes I wonder if we really appreciate what we’ve got. Other than the most famous mosques (and those smaller mosques supported by their generous worshippers) and the truly famous tourist attractions in Sultan Ahmet, much of the city’s magnificent architecture is rather dirty, ill-maintained and dilapidated.
A significant percentage of private homes and buildings from the 1800s are literally falling apart because their owners either lack the funds to maintain them or have been frustrated by the bureaucracy involved in obtaining the permits to restore their exteriors. I’ve heard stories of yalıs and classic residences looking derelict on the outside but incredible on the inside because their owners either didn’t want to attract attention to themselves or didn’t want to pay the fees required for a permit. In a city that prides itself on beauty with colorful tulips everywhere and crowded hair salons and plastic surgeons in apparent abundance, this is mindboggling to me.
ITU irony
Last week, my law partner and I were walking back to Akaretler from lunch in Nişantaşi. The sun was shining and the tulips were like Monet’s palette, but as we strolled downhill through Maçka we noticed the abysmal condition of Istanbul Technical University’s classically styled, massive stone building. It was virtually black with dirt and the grass and weeds were knee high. Windows were broken with rotting frames. Bars covered windows so filthy that you could barely see inside. And as if to rub salt in the wounds of this former beauty, the school’s sign at the downhill entrance was missing letters after the word "MÜHENDİSLİÉ.ADIDÉ"
As an aficionado of the exceptional architecture and culturally significant real estate of Istanbul, this truly offends me. The new buildings of Maslak and Levent have supremely inspired modern architecture; witness the Abdi Ibrahim corporate headquarters, the new Sapphire, Kanyon, the Bellevue Residences, and the many great works of Can Elgiz. Yet while these new buildings generate great revenue for both the owners and the Municipality, and provide luxurious, safe, and efficient offices and residences for their occupants, they lack the historic value of Istanbul’s architectural treasures.
Solutions
Here are a few possible solutions. (1) For every new building to be built, the Municipality must require that an old one be cleaned and restored. The funds for the rehabilitation work should come from the enormous fees currently paid by developers. No new fees should be necessary. (2) Turkish as well as international companies should be allowed to "adopt" a historic building and restore it to its original splendor, with their name prominently displayed as the building’s sponsor. (3) The Municipality should work closely with interested individuals in the community to purchase historic homes and receive expedited processing and discounted permit fees for restoration. Property taxes on architecturally significant buildings should be substantially discounted for several years in exchange for the owners making major renovations. (4) Owners of all historic properties should be required by municipal code to maintain the exteriors of the buildings with authentic paint colors and replace all rotten wood without delay. Failure to do so should result in expropriation and auction of the dilapidated properties. (5) Permit application and issuance for renovation of historic properties should be a one-day process with a minimal fee not to exceed TL100. In other words, make it easy to keep Istanbul beautiful. (6) The Municipality and the General Consul of Egypt should be congratulated on their collaboration to enable the restoration of the General Consul’s residence in Arnavutköy. We need to see more of this type of activity. (7) Every major city in Turkey should have someone with a background in architecture or construction to serve a two-year term as Municipal Historic Preservationist. All actions and renovation works during their tenure should be published on a monthly basis in all the Turkish newspapers in an effort to fight corruption, improve transparency and bestow honor and recognition on those who work diligently to restore the culturally significant buildings of Turkey. © 2009 Gary S. Lachman
Gary Lachman is an international lawyer formerly with the U.S. Department of State, real estate developer, and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University with a consulting practice in Istanbul. He can be contacted at glachman@lachmanyeniaras.com.
A significant percentage of private homes and buildings from the 1800s are literally falling apart because their owners either lack the funds to maintain them or have been frustrated by the bureaucracy involved in obtaining the permits to restore their exteriors. I’ve heard stories of yalıs and classic residences looking derelict on the outside but incredible on the inside because their owners either didn’t want to attract attention to themselves or didn’t want to pay the fees required for a permit. In a city that prides itself on beauty with colorful tulips everywhere and crowded hair salons and plastic surgeons in apparent abundance, this is mindboggling to me.
ITU irony
Last week, my law partner and I were walking back to Akaretler from lunch in Nişantaşi. The sun was shining and the tulips were like Monet’s palette, but as we strolled downhill through Maçka we noticed the abysmal condition of Istanbul Technical University’s classically styled, massive stone building. It was virtually black with dirt and the grass and weeds were knee high. Windows were broken with rotting frames. Bars covered windows so filthy that you could barely see inside. And as if to rub salt in the wounds of this former beauty, the school’s sign at the downhill entrance was missing letters after the word "MÜHENDİSLİÉ.ADIDÉ"
As an aficionado of the exceptional architecture and culturally significant real estate of Istanbul, this truly offends me. The new buildings of Maslak and Levent have supremely inspired modern architecture; witness the Abdi Ibrahim corporate headquarters, the new Sapphire, Kanyon, the Bellevue Residences, and the many great works of Can Elgiz. Yet while these new buildings generate great revenue for both the owners and the Municipality, and provide luxurious, safe, and efficient offices and residences for their occupants, they lack the historic value of Istanbul’s architectural treasures.
Solutions
Here are a few possible solutions. (1) For every new building to be built, the Municipality must require that an old one be cleaned and restored. The funds for the rehabilitation work should come from the enormous fees currently paid by developers. No new fees should be necessary. (2) Turkish as well as international companies should be allowed to "adopt" a historic building and restore it to its original splendor, with their name prominently displayed as the building’s sponsor. (3) The Municipality should work closely with interested individuals in the community to purchase historic homes and receive expedited processing and discounted permit fees for restoration. Property taxes on architecturally significant buildings should be substantially discounted for several years in exchange for the owners making major renovations. (4) Owners of all historic properties should be required by municipal code to maintain the exteriors of the buildings with authentic paint colors and replace all rotten wood without delay. Failure to do so should result in expropriation and auction of the dilapidated properties. (5) Permit application and issuance for renovation of historic properties should be a one-day process with a minimal fee not to exceed TL100. In other words, make it easy to keep Istanbul beautiful. (6) The Municipality and the General Consul of Egypt should be congratulated on their collaboration to enable the restoration of the General Consul’s residence in Arnavutköy. We need to see more of this type of activity. (7) Every major city in Turkey should have someone with a background in architecture or construction to serve a two-year term as Municipal Historic Preservationist. All actions and renovation works during their tenure should be published on a monthly basis in all the Turkish newspapers in an effort to fight corruption, improve transparency and bestow honor and recognition on those who work diligently to restore the culturally significant buildings of Turkey. © 2009 Gary S. Lachman
Gary Lachman is an international lawyer formerly with the U.S. Department of State, real estate developer, and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University with a consulting practice in Istanbul. He can be contacted at glachman@lachmanyeniaras.com.