Ankara(1929-35)/ Bahçelievler Housing Cooperative: Initial, built, and aftermath

This was a set of drawings drawn by Hermann Jansen, 1935, for the Bahçelievler Housing Cooperative project situated in the western part of Ankara. The project was significant in showing the constant negotiation of tradition and modernization between the foreign architect and the Republican elites in a micro scale. And one could start to see how the client redrew Jansen Plans and built it in the way of ‘modernization’ and ‘westernization’ in their definition and interpretation.

The following sketch perspective and historical photos was drawn/taken in 1935, 1940 and 2000 respectively for the same area. One can start to compare the original housing design by Jansen integrating some elements in the traditional Turkish Houses, and the appearance of the houses constructed that were modified by the client to be ‘less traditional and more westernized’, and in 2000, which the house owner demolished the low density houses and rebuilt as 4-5 stories apartment for renting out due to the overpopulation in Anakra.