ENVİRONMENT TOWARDS THE YEAR 2000?
Journal Name:
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Mimarlık Fakültesi Dergisi
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Abstract (2. Language):
A widespread pessimism över the huraan prospect is prevailing in our century. This pesaimism, if not outright hopelessness, is mainly due to the very reason that are otberwise the sources for a bright future. Ic is true that a characteristic of civilization, at any given time, is the cultural struggle against problems produced by the culture; the problems we are confronted within our century, are seeıningly more acute and bigger in magnitude than the problems of the past. Although it is not escpected that the artist and the scîentist will be responsible for şolving the ethical problems which are the direct results of the material life conditions, neither the artist nor the scientist can free himself from this responsibility. One way of sharing this responsibility is to thoroughly understand the essence of the problems facing man before jumping into any quick solutions. For us tfo look towards the future with a slight hope, it is necessary to reach a critical consciousııess, to -assass the conditions objectively and to form a new synthesis within the framework of the everyday realities from our material life.
Anıong the very serious problems we are forced with-e.g. poverty and femine, över population, domination of technology and industry, decay of the environment , undemocratic governments, specialization, garbage, ete. - some of the environmental ones are reviewed in this essay. Exploitation of concepts such as "rationalîsm", "functionalism", "utilitarianism", has been favored by a narrowly defined efficiency conscious industry and by most of the critics of arehiteeture. Yet, what is referred to as "rational arehiteeture" has not penetrated beyond a very lîmited rationality defined by the industry and technology. Exploitation of the natural environment is another grave problem that is facing mankind. The present rate of consumption of primal energy sources - e.g. coal, crude oil, vood - in the architectural produets alone, i.e. the buildings, in terras of climatization purposes is as high as the energy consumption of the total industry. Surprisingly enough, these figures are almost the same for a highly industrialized country such as the U.S.A. and an underdeveloped country Like Turkey. The environment, towards the year 2000, with its present rate of abuse does not present a very bright picture. The conservation of natura and a more harmonious existence with the natural environmental factors must be accepted as another form of art in the totality of environmental design, if we want to have a bright future.
This critical essay revievs "The Symposium of Arts Towards the Year of 2000" organized by the State Academy of Fine Arts, in istanbul on 24-28 October 1977. A. Germen and S. Özkan participated in this essay with comments mainly in the form •f footnotes designated with their initials, A.G. and S.Ö. respeetively.
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