A Turkish Architect at Technical Unversity of Budapest: Semih Rüstem

M Dila Gümüş

doi:10.3311/ppar.8205

Abstract

Semih Rüstem (1898-1946), is a Turkish Early Republican era architect who studied architecture at the Technical University of Budapest. His relationship with Hungarian Turanism and his architectural education in Hungary makes him an exception among Turkish architects. In the early 1930’s, he designed several buildings mostly under the influence of European Modernism but traces of these Hungary-related steps can also be followed in some of his designs. The information gathered in the process of this research, which aims to examine Semih Rüstem’s life and career in the context of cultural relationships between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, provides a basis for a discussion on the formal sources of the buildings he designed.

Highlights

Cultural and architectural relationships between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in the first quarter of the 20th century are a promising research field and potentially contain some exceptional examples
The aim of this paper is to introduce his biography and architectural productions in the context of cultural relationships between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary in the first quarter of 20th century. (Fig. 1)
6 Conclusion Most of the Early Republican era architects started their education at Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi (Fine Arts Academy) in Istanbul, with the successful ones continued their education in European countries following their graduation

Summary

Introduction

Cultural and architectural relationships between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in the first quarter of the 20th century are a promising research field and potentially contain some exceptional examples. Semih Rüstem is a figure that can be examined in this context He studied architecture at the Technical University of Budapest around 1916-1920 and produced in Turkey in the 1930s. His biography remained in the shadows for a long time due to a lack of documents; research examining his career and productions was published recently (Gümüs, 2014). The aim of this paper is to introduce his biography and architectural productions in the context of cultural relationships between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary in the first quarter of 20th century.

Hungarian Turanism in the Context of Educational Exchanges

A Turkish Architect at the Technical University of Budapest

Conclusion