SantralIstanbul
Encyclopedia
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...
in the Eyüp
Eyüp
-External links:* * * * *...
district of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The center, consisting of a modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
museum, an energy museum, an amphitheater, concert halls and a public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, is situated within the Silahtarağa campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of Istanbul Bilgi University
Istanbul Bilgi University
Istanbul Bilgi University is a private, non-profit university in Istanbul, Turkey. It was actually established in 1994 under the name ISIS , but its name was changed to Istanbul Bilgi University with the foundation of the school on June 7, 1996...
that was formerly the first power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Arts, cultural, educational and social buildings of SantralIstanbul, having an area of 118,000 m², are all housed in the facilities of the former Silahtarağa Power Station
Silahtaraga Power Station
The Silahtarağa Power Station was a coal-fired generating station located in Istanbul Turkey. The Ottoman Empire's first power plant, it was in use from 1914 to 1983. The site has since been converted into a university campus for the Istanbul Bilgi University and houses two museums and several...
, which served from 1914 to 1983 for supplying Istanbul with electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
. The site is named after the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
word "santral" for power plant.
Redevelopment project
The redevelopment plan was an idea of Oğuz Özerden, a young businessman and founder of Istanbul Bilgi University. He succeeded to persuade ErdoğanRecep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
's government, and finally obtained the rights from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to establish and administer a cultural complex and its third campus on the site of the former power plant. The related protocol foreseeing the transfer for a 20-years term was signed on May 1, 2004 at the Khedive Palace
Khedive Palace
The Khedive Palace or Çubuklu Palace, Çubuklu Summer Palace, ; Hidiv Mansion; located on the Asian side of the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, was a former residence of Khedive Abbas II of Egypt and Sudan...
in Istanbul.
The transfer did not go off without a hitch due to a lawsuit filed by the Chamber of Electrical Engineers' Istanbul branch, which had developed 2001 a plan with Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey...
to establish an electro-techno park
Technopolis
Technopolis can refer to:*Technopolis or Technology Park are synonyms for science park.*Technopolis Innovation Park Delft, a science park in Delft, the Netherlands....
. However, the Ministry of Energy preferred the project of Istanbul Bilgi University.
The project's concept has similarity with Tate Modern
Tate Modern
Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, is however much more comprehensive having a technology museum, an amphitheater and concert halls, a public library and residents for visiting artists. The redevelopment project was realized in Istanbul Bilgi University's partnership with Doğuş Group, Ciner Group and Laureate Education, Inc. and with the main sponsorship of Kale Group and the City of Istanbul. The cost of the project exceeded US$45m, far more than the budgeted US$30m.
İhsan Bilgin, Dean of the School of Architecture at Istanbul Bilgi University, was responsible for the architectural coordination, while the master plan was carried out by the architects Nevzat Sayın (public library) and Emre Arolat (multi-purpose hall). Han Tümertekin joined the team for the design work on the energy museum. The architectural work was completed in three years. Recently, some parts of the complex are still under construction.
SantralIstanbul's preliminary opening was held on July 17, 2007 in presence of Prime Minister Erdoğan. Three foreign exhibitions were on the show. Visiting hours during this period were limited between 19.00 through 23.00 hours due to ongoing construction works at the site.
The official opening took place on September 8, 2007. It is expected that around 1.5 million people will visit SantralIstanbul.The director's name is Kerim Goknel.
Modern art museum
The Modern art museum, with 7,000 m² floorspace, consists of two new buildings constructed upon the rests of two plant buildings. The architects developed the new buildings in the original dimensions on the basis of old photographs showing the steam generating water-tube boilerWater-tube boiler
A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...
section of the power plant, from which at one a wall and at the other one the grounds only had survived.
The reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
buildings have steel and glass exterior
Building envelope
The building envelope is the physical separator between the interior and the exterior environments of a building. Another emerging term is "Building Enclosure". It serves as the outer shell to help maintain the indoor environment and facilitate its climate control...
s, and are five stories high. The two buildings are connected with a glass passage. The galleries are separated with mobile drywall
Drywall
Drywall, also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper...
s in gray and white matching the colors of rust and brown. The facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
s of the buildings are covered with gray-colored aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
mesh
Mesh
Mesh consists of semi-permeable barrier made of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible/ductile material. Mesh is similar to web or net in that it has many attached or woven strands.-Types of mesh:...
, which on the day allow the daylight enter the interior, and at night make the buildings shining like a lantern in the darkness. They can be used also as a projection screen
Projection screen
A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed, as in a movie theater; painted on the wall; or semi-permanent or mobile, as in a conference room...
.
Temporary exhibitions
- "Modern Aspects" from Centre PompidouCentre Georges PompidouCentre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(July 17, 2007–July 26, 2007) - 1st floor - "Touch me Istanbul", digital art from ZKM in KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(July 17, 2007–July 26, 2007) - 2nd floor - "An Interpersonal Journey" selected videos from MUSACMuseo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y LeónThe Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, better known as the MUSAC, is a contemporary art museum in the city of León, Spain....
in León, SpainLeón, SpainLeón is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
(July 17, 2007–July 26, 2007) - 3rd floor - "Light, Illumination , & Electricity", supported by the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) in collaboration with the Townhouse Gallery of Contemporary Art (CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
), ZINC – ECM de la Friche Belle de Mai (MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France), NOMAD (Istanbul) and SCCA Ljubljana in LjubljanaLjubljanaLjubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
(September 1, 2007–November 30, 2007) - 10th Istanbul BiennialIstanbul BiennialThe International Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition, held every two years in Istanbul, Turkey, since 1987. The biennial is organised by the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. The Biennial aims to create a meeting point in İstanbul in the field of visual arts between artists...
, film festival (September 8, 2007–November 2, 2007) - "Mahrem", videos, photographies, plastics and installation of 9 artists from 6 countries on women's head and body covering in IslamHijabThe word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
(October 17, 2007–November 21, 2007) - "Modern and Beyond", 450 artworks of 100 Turkish artists from 1950 to 2000 (September 8, 2007–February 29, 2008)
Notable contributing artists
- Shahram EntekhabiShahram EntekhabiShahram Entekhabi , born 1963, is an Iranian-born video and installation artist. He studied graphic design at the University of Tehran, Iran and architecture, urbanism at state University in Reggio Calabria, Italy.-Work:...
- Shadi GhadirianShadi GhadirianShadi Ghadirian was born in 1974 in Tehran, Iran. She is a photographer who continues to live and work in Iran. Ghadirian studied photography at Azad University . After finishing her B. A., Ghadirian began her professional career as a photographer. She says that "quite by accident", the...
- Sarkis ZabunyanSarkisSarkis Zabunyan, known as Sarkis, is a Turkish-born Armenian conceptual artist living in France....
Public library
The public library, housed in two of the former boiler houses, is scheduled to open in 2008. The facility, the biggest library in Turkey, will be able to serve around 1,000 people at the same time and open to late hours in the night everyday.Multi-purpose halls
A new building is planned for multi-purpose halls, which is still in-planning state.Educational buildings
Four blocks of educational buildings with two or three floors are constructed in a simple structure not to outdo the functional buildings surrounding. The design is devoted to the footsteps of the old buildings, however they have large glass exteriors enabling insight.Residents for artists
It is expected that annually around 1,000 scholarships as artists, architects, designers, philosophers, scientists and specialists for various areas of culture will stay at the residents within the complex.Cafes and restaurant
There are three cafes in the center. A chain restaurant called "Otto Santral" turns into a discothèque in the late night hours and also hosts different events and live music. It is open from 8:00 to 2:00 hours everyday except MondaysAdmission and transport
The museum is open to public from 10:00 to 22:00 hours everyday except Mondays. Admission is 4 dollars.A shuttle bus service free of charge is provided for the visitors departing from Atatürk Cultural Center
Atatürk Cultural Center
Atatürk Cultural Center , called also simply as AKM, is a multi-purpose cultural center located in Taksim Square of Istanbul, Turkey...
in Taksim
Taksim
Taksim was the objective of Turkish Cypriots who supported a partition of the island of Cyprus into Turkish and Greek portions, a concept declared as early as 1957 by Dr. Fazil Küçük...
every half an hour.
Address:
Eski Silahtarağa Elektrik Santrali (Former Silahtarağa Power Station)
Silahtar Mah. Kazım Karabekir Cad. 1
Eyüp-Istanbul