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Betonart’s 85th issue, with the theme “Again” (Yeniden), is now available. This issue approaches the reuse and repurposing of architecture not merely as a technical adaptation but as a dynamic negotiation space between conservation theory, contemporary design practice, and social memory. Offering a comparative framework with examples on a global scale, the issue opens up discussion on the inherent contradictions of current practices and Turkey’s specific dilemmas.
In the issue, Jorge Otero-Pailos sheds light on experimental conservation approaches that propose new forms of “semi-heritage” by addressing objects excluded from official narratives within their cultural and political contexts. Şebnem Yücel calls on architecture to restore dignity to repair and to learn to heal with the world instead of rebuilding it.
Yıldız Salman discusses how it is possible to design a new life for existing structures through the values attributed to them, focusing on 20th-century buildings. Sevince Bayrak questions the culture of demolition and reconstruction through the examples of the Antalya Museum and the Kahramanmaraş Provincial Special Administration Building. Kutay Karabağ examines recent projects from Istanbul, Zonguldak, and Antalya through approaches in the context of the balance between conservation and intervention.
Deniz Özkut, focusing on the İzmir Alsancak Port Back area, analyzes the contradictions in the transformation of industrial heritage, along spatial experience and conservation theory. Hilal Tuğba Örmecioğlu and Aslı Er Akan point to the remarkable potential of reinforced concrete within repurposing practices. Bingül Çakacı considers repurposing as a form of architectural “harvest” that restores cultural, ecological, and economic values embedded in the built environment.
Aktan Acar, through a conversation with Google Gemini, discusses repurposing in the context of the future of architectural education and the evolving role of the architect.
The section specially prepared for the Building Design Competition with contributions from the Cement Industry Employers' Association features the competition’s 2025 winning projects.
The issue also includes the Betonart Architecture Summer School, organized by TÜRKÇİMENTO since 2002 for architecture students, with its 21st edition hosted by Gaziantep University Faculty of Architecture this year, under the theme “Network.”