Abstract space and modern architecture: Adana and Ankara power plants

Abstract

According to Lefebvre's statement that “Space is a social product”, production relations have an important role in space production. The transition from one production method to another is highly significant; because, this is the effect on the social production relations that can be involved in the space. Since each production method has its own space, a new space is produced during this transition. Based on this, Lefebvre proposes an important periodization of space. This periodization was created by taking into consideration the general production methods and the history and institutions of the societies in which these production methods prevailed. In the periodization, six spaces, “absolute space”, “consecrated space”, “historical space”, “abstract space”, “contradictory space”, and “differential space” are mentioned. Abstract space, which includes the electric power plants built in between 1910-1932 in Turkey and which covered by this study is defined as a modern space with straight lines and geometric perspective. After the first power plant was established in Turkey in 1910, fifty-two more built in Turkey until 1932. When the architectural features of these factories are examined, the number of those built in the modern style of Lefebvre's abstract space concept is quite limited. It’s seen that there is a search for style in the power plants that go between national style and modern architecture and this shows that the traces of the style search of the period are felt in the industrial buildings. However, especially in power plants established by foreign companies, there are those which were built in modern construction methods and materials and modern architecture. Among these, the power plants in Ankara and Adana established by German E.L.G company stand out. Both of them built in reinforced concrete beams, with modern construction methods and modern architectural style according to the conditions of the period. Ankara Power Plant has a square plan type in contrast to the common rectangular plan typology. The absence of a narrow edge of the structure has led to the need for a larger opening in the roof and therefore, the steel roof truss system of the structure stands out. The modern mass and facade of Adana Power Plant distinguish the structure from other power plants of the period. In this study, it’s aimed to highlight the importance of Adana and Ankara Power Plants, which were built in a modern style, in comparison with the other power plants in Turkey established in between 1910-1932 by investigating the architectural features over the abstract space defined by Lefebvre.