MAKING OF THE CITY: UNCOVERING THE PLAN GAME A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY CANSU TÜRK IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE IN ARCHITECTURE JULY 2021 Approval of the thesis: MAKING OF THE CITY: UNCOVERING THE PLAN GAME submitted by CANSU TÜRK in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Architecture, Middle East Technical University by, Prof. Dr. Halil Kalıpçılar Dean, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences Prof. Dr. F. Cânâ Bilsel Head of the Department, Architecture Assist. Prof. Dr. Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu Supervisor, Architecture, METU Examining Committee Members: Prof. Dr. F. Cânâ Bilsel Architecture, METU Assist. Prof. Dr. Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu Architecture, METU Assist. Prof. Dr. Heves Beşeli Architecture, TEDU Date: 09.07.2021 I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name Last name : Cansu Türk Signature : iv ABSTRACT MAKING OF THE CITY: UNCOVERING THE PLAN GAME Türk, Cansu Master of Architecture, Architecture Supervisor : Assist. Prof. Dr. Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu July 2021, 139 pages Throughout the design process of a built environment, considering architecture and urban design separately and not associating them spatially cause the fundamental obstacle in integrating these fields. The thesis seeks to analyze the possibility of an alternative approach towards making of the city by emphasizing the spatial and typological features of architecture and focusing on the relation between the urban spaces and architecture. Besides, it highlights the value of benefiting from architectural precedents in the design process. In this regard, Plan Game invented by Colin Rowe, Bernhard Hoesli, Robert Slutzky, and John Hejduk in the 1950s in Texas University could offer such an alternative position, which has been studied limitedly yet in the field of architecture. Plan Game emphasizes the integration of spatial and typological qualities of architecture with the urban design process. By analyzing the techniques and content of the drawing, its actors, its context, and its pedagogical dimension, this thesis uncovers the Plan Game and discusses the possible contribution of this approach to urban and architectural researches. The thesis also analyzes three in-class exercises referencing Plan Game as a pedagogical reflection of this creative recombination approach: the studio assignment of Bernhard Hoesli at ETH Zurich, the Exquisite Conurbation exercise that Mark v Morris continued for a semester at Cornell University, and the City of Composite Presence produced by two graduate students at Cornell University. Within the scope of the thesis, Plan Game Workshop Series was organized with the participation of faculty members, practicing architects, and graduate students to carry this valuable exercise to the contemporary discussion and observe diverse approaches towards the interaction between the architecture and urban spaces. Hence, the thesis discusses diverse aspects of Plan Game to uncover underlying ideas of the drawing and track the possible integration of this fictitious exercise to the architectural design studios as a pedagogical tool. Keywords: Plan Game, architectural precedent, urban design, creative recombination, collage vi ÖZ KENT OLUŞUMU: PLAN GAME’İN DEŞİFRESİ Türk, Cansu Yüksek Lisans, Mimarlık Tez Yöneticisi: Dr. Öğretim Üyesi Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu Temmuz 2021, 139 sayfa Yapılı çevrenin tasarım sürecinde mimari ve kentsel tasarımın ayrı ayrı ele alınması ve mekânsal olarak ilişkilendirilmemesi, bu alanların bütünleştirilmesinde temel bir engel oluşturmaktadır. Bu tez, mimarlığın mekânsal ve tipolojik özelliklerini vurgulayarak ve kent ile mimari arasındaki ilişkiye odaklanarak, alternatif bir kent oluşturma yöntemini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca tasarım sürecinde mimari emsallerden yararlanmanın önemini vurgulamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, mimarlık disiplininde şimdiye kadar derinlemesine çalışılmamış olan ve 1950’lerde Teksas Üniversitesi’nde Colin Rowe, Bernhard Hoesli, Robert Slutzky ve John Hejduk öncülüğünde oluşturulan Plan Game, mimarlık ve kentsel mekân arasındaki ilişkiye alternatif bir yaklaşım sunabileceği öngörülmektedir. Plan Game, mekânsal ve tipolojik niteliklerin tasarım süreciyle bütünleşmesini vurgulamaktadır. Bu tez, Plan Game’i analiz etmekte, bu yaklaşımın çizim tekniklerini, içeriğini, aktörlerini, bağlamını ve Plan Game’in pedagojik boyutunu da ele alarak, kentsel ve mimari araştırmalara olası katkısını tartışmaktadır. Tez aynı zamanda Plan Game’e referans alınarak yürütülen üç sınıf içi alıştırmayı, yaratıcı birleştirme yaklaşımının pedagojik yansıması olarak incelemektedir: Bernhard Hoesli’nin ETH Zurich’de yürüttüğü stüdyo çalışması, Mark Morris’in Cornell Üniversitesi’nde bir dönem boyunca vii sürdürdüğü Exquisite Conurbation alıştırması ve Cornell Üniversitesi’nde iki lisansüstü öğrenci tarafından üretilen City of Composite Presence. Tez kapsamında ayrıca, bu değerli tartışmayı çağdaş tartışmaya taşımak ve mimarlık ile kentsel mekânlar arasındaki etkileşime yönelik farklı yaklaşımları gözlemlemek için; öğretim üyelerinin, uygulamacı mimarların ve lisansüstü öğrencilerinin katılımıyla gerçekleştirilen Plan Game Atölye Serisi düzenlenmiştir. Dolayısıyla, tez çalışması çizimin altında yatan fikirleri ortaya çıkarmak ve bu kurgusal alıştırmanın pedagojik bir araç olarak mimari tasarım stüdyolarına olası etkisini gözlemlemek için Plan Game’i çeşitli yönlerini tartışmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Plan Game, mimari öncü, kentsel tasarım, yaratıcı birleştirme, kolaj viii To my father ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Assist. Prof. Dr. Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu who has patiently supported this research with her incredible encouragement, guidance, criticism and motivating comments throughout the research process. Without her contribution, this study could not have been completed. Therefore, my appreciation to her can never be enough. I would also like to thank the examining committee, Prof. Dr. Cânâ Bilsel and Assist. Prof. Dr. Heves Beşeli for their comprehensive discussions and inspiring comments for the thesis. I would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Berin Gür, Assist. Prof. Dr. Başak Uçar, and Matthew van der Ploeg for their invaluable comments and supports. I express my deepest gratitude to all of the participants to the Plan Game Workshop Series including faculty members, practicing architects and graduate students due to their valuable contributions to the thesis. I am forever indebted to them. I am also grateful to my colleagues Elif Ezgi Öztürk, Nehir Melis Uzun, Sena Çatal, Merve Nur Yurt, and Alâ Taleb for their moral and intellectual support. I would also like to express my thanks to Anıl Karzek who was witnessed each phase of this process and has always accompanied me with patience. A big appreciation goes to my support team: Süleyman İyigün, İhsan Tolga Korucu, Berk Başaran, Alp Çağatay Batuhan, Abdülkadir Şanlı, and Mehmet Can Akkaya for being always supportive to me, especially during the most challenging times. Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation to all members of my family for their endless love, support and understanding, especially to my mother Güzide Türk and to my sister Pelin Türk. I am very lucky to have such a caring family. x TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... v ÖZ ........................................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................... ix TABLE OF CONTENT ........................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................... xiii CHAPTERS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 2 ON THE CANONICAL POSITIONS TOWARDS THE REPRESENTATION OF THE CITY AND ITS ARCHITECTURE ......................................................... 11 2.1 Nolli’s Pianta Grande di Roma ................................................................ 11 2.2 Piranesi’s Pianta di Roma ........................................................................ 16 2.3 Fabrizi’s Antiquae Urbis Imago and Piranesi’s Campo Marzio .............. 21 3 UNCOVERING THE PLAN GAME ............................................................... 31 3.1 Actors | The Texas Rangers ...................................................................... 33 3.2 Creative Recombination ........................................................................... 37 3.3 Analysis of the Architectural Fragments of Plan Game Drawing ........... 42 3.4 Architectural Precedent in Relation to Plan Game .................................. 49 4 RECONSIDERATION OF PLAN GAME AS A PEDAGOGICAL METHOD ................................................................................................................ 55 4.1 Bernhard Hoesli’s Assignment at ETH Zurich .......................................