Redefining Modernism: The Conversion of the Ankara Exhibition Hall into the Turkish State Opera

Abstract

The conversion of the Ankara Exhibition Hall into the Turkish State Opera in 1948 was one of the most debated incidents of the architectural and urban history of Early Republican Turkey. During this conversion, the modernist aesthetic of the exhibition hall was replaced by a classicistic and monumental language, which transformed the facet of its urban context in an irreversible way. Departing from this background, the study describes the mentioned conversion process and discusses the politico-cultural approaches leading to and accompanying this transformation. The focus of this discussion is the political role attributed to the art of opera and to the opera house as an urban center. While describing the conversion process, the focus is also set on discussions on nationalism, modernism, and aesthetic value in Early Republican architecture with respect to a global context as well as the emergence of a new understanding of modern architecture in postwar Europe.