Greetings to Those Architects

Doğan Hasol's new book, Greetings to Those Architects, has been published. Hasol is one of Turkey's veteran architects.

Doğan Hasol summarizes his views on the architects he "greets" and the book's content as follows:

"Starting from my student years, I have been close to many architects in various environments. The architects I send greetings to are those I got to know more closely throughout my professional life.

During my student years, I served in the Architecture Faculty Student Association, then as an assistant, and in addition to that, I published the Mimarlık ve Sanat Dergisi (Architecture and Art Magazine), followed by a publishing specialist role at the Chamber's magazine, Mimarlık. Later, I was the secretary of the publishing committee, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, and the Secretary Member of the Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Architects. In later years, I also served on the Chamber's Board of Directors...

In addition to these, there was the establishment of Yapı-Endüstri Merkezi (YEM) in 1968. After my military service, I spent over 40 years as a YEM executive... I also served two three-year terms as president of the International Union of Building Centres (UICB), of which YEM is a member. I have served on various juries both domestically and internationally...

Thus, thanks to my various roles, I had the chance to meet many architects. My memories, correspondence, photographs, and documents related to them accumulated. It is not possible to include all of them in the book. Therefore, I had to make a selection. The selection consists of local architects who are no longer with us, and foreign architects whom I met through my international duties at UICB and through YEM. The only exception is Bruno Taut.

Among the foreign architects, there are some who are still alive. The local architects, unfortunately, are no longer with us. Among those who are alive, there are many valuable and distinguished architects whom I know, love, and admire, but I did not want to make a selection among them; I preferred to write about those who have passed away. Although this preference may be described as 'writing about them from behind,' I think it is more innocent than the expression 'talking behind their backs.' In the sequencing, I tried to observe their dates of passing.

I remember all of them once again with love, respect, and longing...”