Contemporary Annex in the Context of Design and Conservation Principles

Abstract

Social identity finds concrete expressions with the monuments, buildings, urban textures that constitute the cultural heritage in historical continuity. Preserving the identity of cities by ensuring historical and cultural continuity is possible by protecting the architectural heritage. While the historical buildings and settlements that in usage can easily be kept alive because of the existing maintenance, it is necessary to install new functions in order to protect the unused cultural heritage buildings and to make contemporary annexes for the emerging new usage and space needs. In this study, contemporary additions to historical textures and buildings are examined with examples in the context of design decisions, approaches and conservation principles. In this context, firstly the context of the annex was emphasized and then the repetition-imitation, the contrast and the adaptation-interpretation as design approaches were discussed with examples. In addition, the annexes were evaluated according to the physical relationship they established with the existing structure. Reflecting the era with its material, construction technique and form, annexes are an important component of cultural continuity, as they represent genuine solutions for real needs. Considering that a qualified design cannot be achieved by focusing solely on protection, it must be accepted that the new should be valued at least as much as the old.