The Issue of Horizontal Architecture in Turkey from the Perspective of Turgut Cansever, the Wise Architect

After debates about whether or not multistory buildings damaged the historical silhouette of İstanbul, the horizontal architectural discourse was established as an important element of the government’s urban policy. It has been argued that horizontal architecture will strengthen neighborly relations by rebuilding neighborhood culture and reducing building damage after natural disasters, in addition to contributing to the appearance of cities. Based on these considerations, the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation, which came into effect in 2017, reflects the horizontal architecture discourse in the legislation. The Eleventh Development Plan, election manifestos, and regulations limiting floor heights all reflect the horizontal architecture discourse. However, the applicability of horizontal architecture as well as the pertinence of regulations and projects purportedly created for horizontal architecture have sparked a new debate topic. In this paper, the horizontal architectural discourse and practices of the government are analyzed from the perspective of architect Turgut Cansever, a pioneer of horizontal architecture. Cansever’s “horizon condominium,” which was called horizon (horizontal) urbanism by his follower H. Ibrahim Düzenli, reflects a completely different type of urbanization from today’s construction system, which consists of 1–2 story detached houses with gardens and was inspired by the Ottoman city system. In this context, it is impossible to state that the applications made after the horizontal architectural discourse in our country have resulted in a significant improvement compared to the past. Thus, it is evident that the objectives of the horizontal architectural discourse and the existing construction practices are incompatible.