Bio
Doğan Hasol graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1956 and obtained his degree from Istanbul Technical University’s Architectural Faculty in 1961, and for a time worked as a research assistant in the same faculty. In 1961, while still a student, he joined the production team of Mimarlık ve Sanat (Architecture and Art) magazine.
In 1965-66 he was Secretary General of the Istanbul branch of the Chamber of Architects, between 1966-69 was editor-in-chief of the Chamber's magazine Mimarlık, and also served on the board of the Chamber of Architects.
In 1968, together with a group of friends, he founded the Building Information Centre (YEM). In 1989 and 1992 he was elected president of the International Union of Building Centres (UICB), of which YEM is a member, for two successive three-year terms. At the end of these two terms was elected an honorary member by the UICB General Assembly.
Doğan Hasol has run the Building Information Centre for nearly forty years, and in accordance with its function has initiated the publication of YAPI magazine, Yapı Kataloğu (Building Products Catalogue) and other professional catalogues and books on architecture. In addition he has organised courses, lectures, seminars and exhibitions. In acknowledgement of his publishing activities he was awarded the Press and Publication Prize for the 1994/95 academic year by the Association of Turkish Independent Architects.
He pursues his architectural work within the Has Mimarlık group, which he established together with his wife A. Hayzuran Hasol and his daughter Ayşe Hasol Erktin. In 1990 he and his wife were jointly awarded the National Architecture Prize in the building category by the Chamber of Architects.
Hasol's Ansiklopedik Mimarlık Sözlüğü (Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Architecture)- in Turkish- which was first published in 1976 and is now in its 11th edition, and his Dictionary of Architecture and Building, a multilingual dictionary in English, French and Turkish, are among the leading reference works in the field. In 1997 his English-French/French-English dictionary Architecture et Bâtiment/ Architecture and Building was published in Paris by the French publishing house Le Moniteur. Hasol has published numerous other books, including Yağma Var!, Her Şeyin Mimarı Var, Mimarî İzlenimler, Galatasaray’da Düşler/Gerçekler, Anılar Kuşlar Gibidir, Mimarlık Cep Sözlüğü, Mimarlar Dik Durur!, as well as a large number of articles on architecture. His articles can be accessed on his website www.doganhasol.net.
In 2004-05 he served as president of the Turkish Architectural Foundation, and in 2009-11 as chairman of the Istanbul Independent Architects Association.
He was awarded honorary doctorates by Istanbul Technical University in 1998 and by Yıldız Technical University in 1999. In 2000 he received the Chamber of Architects' Award for Outstanding Contributions to the profession, and in 2007 Beykent University presented him with the Award of Honour for Architecture.
:: Photo information and credits:
1-2 > Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir, 2003
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
3 > Anadolu Health Center, Gebze- Turkey, 2002
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
4-5 > Anadolu Comfort Hotel, Gebze- Turkey, 2005
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
6 > Aegean Hills Housing Complex, Bodrum- Turkey, 2005
CNBC International Property Award, 2007
Houses Overseas Awards Gold Metal, 2007
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
7 > A Single Family House, İstanbul, 1988
National Architecture Award, 1990
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
8 > Seaside House on the Bosphorus, Istanbul, 1994
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
09 > EKOBuilding, Istanbul Technical University Campus, Istanbul
World Architecture Community Award, 2008
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
10 > Dogan Hasol’s books and his publication YAPI Magazine
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
11 > Garanti Bank Branch, Interior, Istanbul, 2010
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
12 > YAPI Magazine from the first issue to the 350th
Photo ©Dogan Hasol partnership + Has Mimarlik
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on Architecture and Theory
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on Architecture and Travel
My point of view:
on Architecture and Travel
Interview Date: 31-08-2011
VIEW the entire interview on VIDEO!
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What is the importance of architectural tourism?
Tourism is important and architectural tourism is also important. Architecture is a part of culture, so if you travel you learn about the tradition, the history as well as the future of some countries. Architecture represents a country, its cultural level in a way that you see the buildings and even if you are simply a tourist you can learn about the history of the country you visit. If you are an architect you learn a lot about the country visited, are able to compare your knowledge with the buildings of your own country and with your practice.
What is the importance of traveling, especially for Architects and humans in general?
As I explained before, for an architect it is essential to see what is happening in the world, what is happening outside of one’s country and see novelties, technology as well as the mentality of other countries. When coming back one can use the knowledge gained in practice. On the other hand there are many other possibilities for an architect; there are reviews, magazines, books and other facilities, i.e. the internet, but it is very important to see buildings with your own eyes, for example when visiting India, if you see Taj Mahal it creates another feeling, it is not the same when you see it in a magazine. This is really something else.
:: You have created your own practice in Istanbul. Your office deals with urban, architecture and industrial design with a wide version in any scale.
Turkey is a country with great history. Designing a modern building within this context is a complex procedure. Is critical regionalism an approach to your architecture?
For a historic country it is not easy to construct without having respect for already existing buildings. Consideration must be made for listed buildings, but on the other hand there are some settlements in the city which give character to the city must be considered as well. When constructing in an already built area with a historic value you have to obey the rules of architecture and respect already existing buildings. There is a historic part of Istanbul within the Byzantine walls. In this area there are some strict building codes. Within these rules you are not able to construct more than four or five floors depending on the region. The question of scale is very important in the old areas. On the other hand, it is not necessary to imitate nor repeat old forms but you can use the sense. You must have a respect to preserve the old. You have to preserve first of all the existing architecture values and then add something contemporary. You don’t have to imitate.
How would you characterize modern Turkish architecture?
Although in Turkey we have good examples of modern architecture we have had a huge increase of population in the cities during the last fifty years. Many of the new comers to the cities occupied government lands creating their own quarters with shanty constructions. In the beginning the settlements were constructed like the rural villages from which the people came. This was the first phase. Later with the encouragement of vote-seeking politicians the squatters enlarged their buildings to apartment blocks. The result became a catastrophy. So I would like to say that there are good examples of modern architecture in Turkey but you are not often able to see them easily within these dense and anarchic settings.
You are one of the founders as well as the President of the Turkish Building Information centre (YEM).What exactly is YEM and how is it related with architecture?
We established the Building Information Centre (YEM) in 1968 to provide information for the building sector. In the beginning we had a large showroom in Istanbul where we exhibited building products. We later began organizing larger temporary exhibitions one of which is Turkeybuild. Every year we have three Turkeybuild exhibitions: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir. The Istanbul exhibition occupies an area of 81000 sqm. providing information to architects and building professionals. As YEM, our mentality in establishing this Building Information Centre was to provide an educational service to the building sector about the possibilities in the field of construction. We have been doing this for 42 years now, and I think this is a success as we have always had good relations with the sector’s professionals. In the Centre, most every week we have a lecture with an average audience of 500 people.
In recent years attention turns to green urban regeneration. Do you think that it is imperative for the city or it’s just a new fashion with economic outcomes and covertly interests?
Going green is very necessary for the world, for the future of the world. When we use fuel, we waste our money. We burn our money and we obtain CO2 which pollutes our world, our atmosphere. Green urban regeneration is not an option, it is a necessity for the future of the world, not only for us but for our children.
At the end, can you please provide your personal proposal of 10 buildings (constructed and visitable) which you think as the most important worldwide that someone must visit anyway?
In my opinion among the buildings that one must see are: Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Sinan’s Selimiye Mosque and its complex in Edirne, Taj Mahal in India, Mies Van de Rohe’s Pavilion and Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye in France, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim museum in NY, Frank Gehry’s Bilbao Museum, Oscar Niemeyer’s Cathedral in Brasilia, Jorn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House in Sydney.
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