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Reimagining the Interior Architecture of Albanian Hammam Baths Architecture of Albanian Hammam Baths 2020//Berlin International University of Applied Sciences 2020//Berlin International University of Applied Sciences REIMAGINING THE INTERIOR REIMAGINING THE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE OF ALBANIAN HAMMAM BATHS ARCHITECTURE OF ALBANIAN HAMMAM BATHS Identifying design strategies in the adaptive reuse of Bazaar’s Hammam Identifying design strategies in the adaptive reuse of Bazaar’s Hammam Master of Arts in Interior Design Master of Arts in Interior Design Master thesis/ Spring Semester 2020/Bora Stafa Master thesis/ Spring Semester 2020/Bora Stafa . Yüksel Pögün-Zander, PhD Advisor: Prof. Yüksel Pögün-Zander, PhD Second Examiner: Prof. Sigurd Larsen Second Examiner: Prof. Sigurd Larsen REIMAGINING THE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE OF ALBANIAN HAMMAM BATHS Identifying design strategies in the adaptive reuse of Bazaar’s Hammam By Bora Stafa Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Interior Design At Berlin International University of Applied Sciences The author hereby grants Berlin International University of Applied Sciences (BI) permission to place this thesis in the library, reproduce and distribute copies of this thesis, in whole or in part, for educational purposes. Any original of the thesis will not be available for borrowing. ______________________________________________________________________ The author hereby legally declares that he/she has completely written the attached thesis on their own and has not used any other tools than those explicitly mentioned in it. In all instances where the author has borrowed content created by other authors, either directly or in para- phrase, it has been explicitly marked in the thesis as such. This thesis has not been presented, fully or in part, to another examination authority, or been published anywhere. (The above declaration has legal value both internally at Berlin International University and externally under German public law as an „Eidesstattliche Erklärung“.) Signature of the Author: Date of Submission: 26.08.2020 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am very grateful to my family for the continuous support and encouragement throughout my endeavor and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my university and my beloved professors and mentors for sharing their knowledge and the continuous support in every step I took. Finally, many thanks to my friends and colleagues for inspiring and challenging me in a positive way throughout this journey. ABSTRACT This research thesis explores the architecture of hammam typology and proposes a strategy of adaptive reuse to save these buildings upon a specific region, in Albania. Hammam structures, which used to combine daily and sacred life by providing water to support body and soul, should be regarded as gems of cultural heritage that reconnect people to their past but also to their future. After the introduction aiming to present the reader with the research aim and methodology; a short historic architectural overview is done. Two of the most representative cases of Albanian Hammam typologies still exist, in the city of Elbasan, although abandoned and forgotten in time. The research addresses two consequences of the historical heritage hammam’s development. Firstly, the way in which hammam’s heritage has been leftover and is being demolished; Secondly, the need to rebuild heritage and community without any loss of identity in the city. The research leads to a design project exemplifying the adaptive re-use approach, when dealing with a historical structure, witnessing cultural values. Remodeling and alterations are necessary to result in new possibilities of saving these structures from degradation and complete demolition. The attempt of the research as well as the project, is to re-imagine the interior qualities of hammam in the present time. TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION …………………….………………………….....………....page 6 1.1 Research topic and its context 1.2 Research Aim & Objectives 1.3 Methodology Approach 2. HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL OVERVIEW…………………….……...….page 8 2.1 The architecture of Hamam in Islamic culture. Past and Present 2.2 Historical background of the Hammam in Elbasan 2.3 Comparative analyses of existing structures. Form, function and building phases. 2.4 Conclusions 3. TOWARDS THE INTERIOR APPROACH OF HAMAM REUSE…….…...page16 3.1 Restorations and Adaptive Reuse Definitions 3.2 Relevant Approaches in Adaptive Reuse 3.3 The Architectural Palimpsest, as a theoretical Insight towards Adaptive Reuse Strategies 3.4 Case Studies_ Evaluating Best Practices 3.4.1 Merida Museum of Roman Art, by Raphaël Moneo 3.4.2 Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany, David Chipperfield 3.4.3 Carlo Scarpa, Castelvecchio Museum 3.5 Observations 4. REIMAGINING THE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE OF HAMMAM BATHS…….........................................................................….page 30 4.1 Current state of the building 4.2 Reasons for change 4.2.1 Requirements 4.2.2 New use 4.3 Design strategies to maintain the historic character 4.4 Project intervention as an illustrative example and part of the Research. Graphic illustration from the project. 5. CONCLUSION…………………………........…………………………...……page 62 Approaches applicable to other hammam architypes References “ Marco enters a city; he sees someone in a square living a life or an instant that could be his; he could now be in that man’s place, if he had stopped in time, long ago; or if, long ago, at a crossroads, instead of taking one road he had taken the opposite one, and after long wandering he had come to be in the place of that man in the square. By now, from that real or hypothetical past of his, he is excluded; he cannot stop; he must go on to another city, where another of his pasts awaits him, or something perhaps that had been a possible future of his and is now someone else’s present. Futures not achieved are only branches of the past: dead branches.” - Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research topic and its context Geographically, the city of Elbasan is situated in the Shkumbini river valley in the heart of the country. The city was built on the remains of the ancient Scampi’s city, a fortified Centre situated on the Via Ignatia, the road which was the extension of the Appian Way, who connected the harbor of Durazzo to the city of Byzantium. During the Ottoman Empire, Roman castle was fortified and was given the name Kala, once a military origin standpoint, while today it represents only the historical quarter considering that the city outgrew its borders by time. From an important commercial center during the Ottoman invasion, the city underwent significant interventions of modernization, establishing itself as a military outpost in the politics of expansion of the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire towards the West. In fact, in 1466 the fortification of Elbasan was reconstructed by the Ottoman sultan Mehmet II on the ancient Roman plant in the configuration that is seen today. Among other cultural monuments, the two existing hammams, date back to the Ottoman Empire and even earlier, Roman Empire. Economically, the region is a popular touristic destination, mainly interested in visiting the castle quarter, also known as Kala quarter. The research looks into the case of Albanian hammam architecture and what adaptive reuse strategies can be implemented to save the abandoned structures of the Hammams in the region. The two hammams, Bazaar’s Hammam and Kala’s Hammam, which represent two of the last existing models in the city of Elbasan, dating back to the mid-sixteenth century, are outstanding among the monuments built during the Ottoman Empire. Turks built thousands of hammams for health purposes within the borders of the Ottoman empires. As well as in Turkish history, these buildings formed a very unique public culture experience in Albanian history. Most of these buildings are now neglected or abandoned due to multiple reasons, mostly social economic factors. In 2006, the two hammam structures were subjects of an architectural survey performed by a group of ten civil engineering and architecture students of the University of Pisa, Italy, in collaboration with the Institution of Culture Monuments in Albania. Foremost, the reader will be introduced to the context of the research project in this particular site in Albania. 1.2 Research Aim and Research questions In order to search for the fate of the lost hammam culture in the area, the historical background of Albanian hammams, is initially researched. Adaptive reuse strategies and conservation strategies are evaluated, through comparative case studies; to gain new insights on historical buildings reuse. 6 The research aim will be conducted by using the new concept of adaptive re-use to conserve cultural heritage in its context. Adaptive Reuse has become increasingly important in contemporary architectural practice. The reasons for this range from the economical need for less costly architecture, to the ever-increasing awareness of the benefits of our architectural heritage. Different literature reviews highlight that in historic centers, adaptive reuse of the existing buildings is frequently a reoccurring practice. Since the historic center is often the heart of the city, the possibility for new construction is limited so the relocation of a new program in historic abandoned buildings such as hammam, is a good opportunity which interacts well with the community and the touristic attraction element. From the heritage sector point of view, a new use for the existing structure is desirable in order to avoid a degradation of the building itself and the loss of identity of the city to which it belongs. The research aim is to formulate a new concept about hammam´s reuse in particular, from an interior architectural perspective; so that the particular relation between the existing building and the new interior intervention, can be identified. The way towards the new concept, includes the two main research questions listed below; - Firstly, what are the general characteristics of hammam architecture? - Secondly, are there any possibilities/opportunities to restore and reuse hammams? Reusing a historical building is never an easy challenge, so the answers to these questions will derive through the research methodology.
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