RE-ConD'25 – 2nd International Conference on Re-Evaluating Contemporary Designs in Historical Context

Start
9 Jul 2025
End
11 Jul 2025
Location
Bahçeşehir University (BAU) Conference Halls, Istanbul, Turkey

RE-ConD'25

2nd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
RE-EVALUATING CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS IN HISTORICAL CONTEXTS

INTRODUCTION
The Architecture Foundation Turkey (MIV) will be organizing the 2nd International Conference on Reevaluating Contemporary Designs in Historical Context (2nd RE-ConD’15) on the 09-11 July 2025 in Istanbul. The Conference will be hosted by SEWC Turkey.

The historical environments that were forgotten in the beginning of the modernization period, regained importance in 1970s with the studies on relationship between the old and the new and started to be considered not only as a building stock, but also as a whole with their cultural, social, economic and legal aspects. Within the global market during 1990s, the historical environments once again experienced intense changes and transformations. In creating a place and revealing the identity of a city, it is understood that the historical environments deserve more than conservation actions. As a result, innovative designs and projects have become a current issue.

In this regard the conference is seeking to re-evaluate the attitudes to existing environments through discussing new architectural, structural and urban projects built or to be built in natural and/or cultural and/ or historical contexts, the way to participate to the space and harmonize the new projects in existing elements and resources and meet the contemporary requirements.

The conference will provide an international and interdisciplinary meeting for researchers and practitioners to present and discuss the necessity, concept and criteria of designing/constructing new structures/buildings and settlements in historical contexts and their environments. It will also bring together historians, art historians, archaeologists, architects, engineers, scientists, building surveyors, urban planners, and other specialists to exchange their analytical, experimental, historical and constructional experiences and studies in preservation of urban or rural contexts.

CONFERENCE TOPICS
Conference topics include but are not limited to:

General Principles – Professional Responsibilities (International Agreements on Designing New Buildings in Historic Environment, Heritage Management plan, conservation policies, Legal/administrative views, Ethical and professional responsibilities)
New and Historic Environment Relationships / Integration (Archaeological, Rural, Urban settlements and Coastal areas, Cultural Landscape, Sustainability in New Design and Historic Relationship)
Need for Contemporary Designs in Historic Environment (Physical & Social Changes, Natural and Human Induced Damage / Destruction, Density Pressure / Population Growth, Infrastructure projects, Expression of cultural identity, Functional Changes –Tourism, Cultural)
Factors Affecting New Design in Historic Environment (Leading factors (location, sense of place, identity, silhouette, mass and scale, style, façade proportions/ organization, color, material and structure etc., Design principles (adaptation, recall, interpretation, contrast, neutralization etc., Infrastructure Capacity / Problems, Accessibility, Safety / Security)
Design Principles Affecting New Design in Historic Environment (Invention Restoration & New Addition, Reuse – Function Change of Historic Heritage Buildings / Site, Revitalization of an Urban Settlement – Space)
Construction Principles and Materials (Traditional or contemporary construction materials, Compatibility of construction materials/contrasts, Structural compatibility)

STUDENT COMPETITION
The Student Competition CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT will accompany the conference. More information can be found on the competition poster, conference leaflet, and webpage.

VENUE:

Bahçeşehir University (BAU) Conference Halls
Yıldız, Çırağan Cad. 34349 Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey

DATES: 09 – 11 July 2025

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