The influence of neo-liberalist policies on Istanbul: The theory of ‘bigness’ and monstrous monumentalities in the new skyline of the city

Abstract

Turkey has recently been witnessing the restructuring of its urban space under the influence of neo-liberal policies. As a result of the acceptance of the construction industry’s pivotal role in economic growth, construction and other related industries, such as transportation, manufacturing, and mining, were earmarked for development after 2002, in accordance with the policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The accumulation of capital and the financialization of the construction industry resulted in the restructuring and recommodification of urban land through large-scale urban projects. Increasing rapidly, these projects have transformed construction scale from building to urban scale. These exaggerated sizes, annihilating the existing building traditions and the urban pattern of the city, create abnormalities not only in physical structure but also in the social and cultural environments of İstanbul. The discussion of this article will focus on an evaluation of contemporary ‘large-scale urban projects’ regarding their size, form, and context. The structure of the discussion will be based on the theories of ‘Bigness’ by Rem Koolhaas as explained in his book SMLXL, ‘The Sublime’ by Burke, and ‘Monstrosity’ by Foucault as explained in his lecture series-The Abnormal. © 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.