Spatial evaluation of primary sugar factories in early republican period in Turkey

Abstract

During the early republican period of Turkey, new industrial complexes were emerged through modernity project and modern architecture. One of this industrial complexes were the sugar factories with their production and residential buildings, which were particularly significant, both as quintessential modern buildings and as built manifestations of modernity project in Turkey. This study is focused on the architectural findings of the primary sugar factories built in early republican period in Turkey. As a case study, the primary/main four sugar factories, which were established at the first ten years of Republic; Alpullu, Uşak, Eskişehir and Turhal factories were selected. These factories have been the subject of limited studies separately so far. Therefore the present study investigates the role of primary sugar factories in the industrialization period, as a new architectural planning reflecting industrial city idea of modernism and their effects on the community of the cities. The research methods include field study procedures to identify and analyze them, with their site complexes, building materials and architectural elements that characterize the continuity of settlement identity. As a result, primary sugar factories in Turkey have characteristically simple form, small, variable in squares and well-designed buildings and their architectural complexes actually serve as symbols of social and cultural identities of their time. © 2017, Istanbul Teknik Universitesi, Faculty of Architecture. All rights reserved.