Ulus Modern Arts Center

The Historical and Cultural Layers of Ulus: A Palimpsest

Ulus has hosted nearly all civilizations that have reigned in Ankara throughout history. These civilizations have overlapped both physically and culturally over time, and while their traces have occasionally been deliberately or naturally erased and altered by subsequent inhabitants, they have collectively formed the current stratified section of Ulus. The layered structure of Ulus can be likened to a palimpsest.

The relationship between the traditional commercial area of the Castle district and Ulus Square, which bears the traces of the transition to the modern era, the coexistence of Hacı Bayram Mosque and the Temple of Augustus, the casino district around Çankırı Street and the Roman Bath directly opposite, the recreation area with Youth Park and 19 Mayıs Stadium, and the Hippodrome all come together to form an intriguing whole. Within this whole, the identity of Ankara as a model city for the Republic and modern life becomes prominent. Ankara was designed to reflect the modern life and spaces of the Republic, and this new lifestyle and spatial arrangement were intended to spread throughout the country via Ankara.

Although this transformation process might be seen as damaging to the continuity of the city by scraping away certain historical layers and introducing a completely new understanding and way of life, it can also be evaluated as embodying the wealth of the city’s identity, illustrating the process it has undergone, and providing the first examples of the modern life that has been embraced over time. In this context, the buildings around Ulus Square are examples that define the modernization story of Ankara as the capital city. The buildings around Ulus Square, with their identities embedded in social and cultural lives, should be considered not just as heritage for Ankara but as a shared cultural heritage on a national scale. Our proposal involves a revitalization project focusing on the spaces around Posta Street, which have secured a place in modern life. This approach aims to enhance the readability of the layers of the city, preserve the existence of spaces that have taken root in the city’s identity and cultural scene, and ensure the transmission of cultural heritage to future generations by preserving the traces of modern life and spaces.

Posta Street and Cultural Heritage

In Ankara’s social life, Posta Street (Şehit Teğmen Kalmaz) is known for its restaurants and taverns frequently visited by artists, journalists, and literary figures. Among the most famous of these taverns are Şükran Restaurant, frequented by Cahit Sıtkı, and Acemin Tavern; another preferred by poets such as Orhan Veli and Ceyhun Atuf Kansu is Kürdün Tavern. Additionally, Palabıyık Tavern on Posta Street, known for serving rakı and wine in its respective sections, is also notable (Bayraktar, 2016).

It is proposed to convert one of these old taverns into a restaurant displaying the names and period photographs of its regulars and serving Ankara cuisine. In the ground floor apartment of Cündoğlu Han, there are wall paintings by Abidin Dino (large peasant figures) on the walls to the right, left, and opposite the entrance. It is known that during the period when OYAK Bank was a tenant, people would come to the bank just to see these paintings. These paintings were covered with drywall when the bank was converted to Kuwait Bank. It is proposed to uncover these paintings and even give this apartment a small “Abidin Dino Museum” identity (Sönmez, 2019).

Despite being altered over time, it is also proposed to preserve and contribute to the old appearance of Posta Street with historic inns such as Kudret (1928), Yüzbaşıoğlu (1938), Cündoğlu (1948), and apartments like Yağcıoğlu (1927), Ege (before 1937), Yusuf Hikmet, and Akbank (1924).

Ulus Modern and Urban Memory

Posta Street, which had a significant place in the city’s cultural and artistic scene in the past, has lost this feature through various transformations. One of the primary goals of the proposal is to restore this street’s position in urban memory with the construction of Ulus Modern. The horizontal and vertical expansion of Posta Street, defined by open and semi-open spaces, is intended to form the main circulation and movement scheme of Ulus Modern, integrating with daily life through units opening onto this street. These units, with designated functions, aim to intertwine areas where art and crafts are produced and exhibited, ensuring accessibility for all within the public and free environment defined by the ‘street’.

In the proposal, the continuation of the street defined as an extension of Posta Street and the forecourt at the upper ground level of the building, turning into a square, is surrounded by significant structures like Ulus Hall and Sulu Han, meeting Ulus Modern from another direction. This area becomes an important urban void, referencing urban memory. The square, with its visual and physical relationship with Ulus Modern, becomes an extension and a stage for the semi-open and open spaces defined by the building.