A Narrative of Modern Built Space in Cyprus: Abdullah Onar's Critical Practice

Abstract

The article is aimed at presenting a perspective towards Turkish Cypriot architect Abdullah Onar's design activity and specifically his own house. Both his built and unbuilt projects can be seen as remarkable specimens for the critical approaches towards modern architecture, where he is assumed to build a modern life for his clients. The main argument of the text is constituted on the idea that with the postcolonial era, modern architecture was questioned and adapted to the local conditions in Onar's practice by making the place-identity visible. The key question contemplated on covers how it sometimes became a tool for reflecting the current context and part of the struggle to make architectural profession visible in the Turkish community; and by this means, had a possible undertone of becoming a contemporary nation. At this very point, the study tries to understand the role of his own house in the historical narrative of modern built space on the island. The Onar house, which was executed between 1962-63, is one of the experimental examples in which Onar's characteristic architectural elements were formulated holistically, to serve as a model for later works. Seen on the historical threshold of the period, the house is critically analyzed via the concept of place-identity, possible connotations it uncovers as the representation of the self and the dichotomy between the local and the modern. The formal architectural elements and spaces that comprise an extension of the cultural past are featured in the architect's own house in such a way that they are critiqued and redefined in a contemporary context, making the building a notable example of his critical practice.