Sustainability of an interior space as a cultural heritage

Abstract

This study aims to develop a design model for sustainability of cultural setting, including its tangible and intan- gible components. The study focuses on the interior environment of traditional Turkish coffeehouse interiors as a case. This study introduces the Turkish coffeehouse interior space as cultural heritage. It describes both the historic social importance of the coffeehouse as well as the physical characteristics of a typical coffeehouse and proposes to engage people in a design process to recreate the Turkish coffeehouse's interior space. From an interior architectural perspective, the study sets typical features of the coffeehouse and aims to discuss the dimensions to sustain this cultural setting in today's living conditions. Defi ning a communal value as a cultural heritage consists of complex and a long-term formation. Defi ning an interior space as a cultural heritage; space consists of both aesthetic cultural values and the socio-cultural values. By reason of both the visual and behavioral dimensions of human behav- iors are affective factors in the creation of this cultural value, this process become more complex. In fact, the interior space is the core environment that refl ects the living habit of a society. In other words, it is the main medium containing the identity of a specifi c culture. In this way, sustaining an interior environment became an affective factor in sustaining both intangible and tangible parts of cultural heritage. This study focuses on different dimensions of interior space from the point of sus- taining a cultural heritage. In addition, traditional Turkish coffeehouse's interior space is set as an example. The Turkish coffeehouse is a place that represents the Turkish socio-cultural identity and was the fi rst widely used public space of their culture. Coffeehouses have been present in Turkey for approx- imately 500 years, during which time drinking coffee became a way of socializing in Turkish culture. Historically, there were different locations within the Ottoman palace for serving and drinking cof- fee. Also special rituals were developed relating to drinking coffee. UNESCO defi nes intangible cultural heritage from many different aspects, 'as a process and practices rather than end products', which is defi ned as 'sources of identity, creativity, diversity and social cohesion' (1). Within Turkish culture, drinking coffee is a form of social cohesion that has represented our identity for 500 years. Even today, drinking Turkish coffee is a ritual that presents ties of friendship. In addition, making and serving the coffee forms part of the Turkish marriage ritual. While a bridegroom and his family seek permission from a woman's parents for her hand in marriage, the future bride prepares and serves them Turkish coffee. This ritual repre- sents the skills of bride. Not just with its material value, but by setting and defi ning form of socialization, it also represents intangible cultural heritage of Turkish culture. In other words, through its social value, the coffeehouse also gains intangible value. Today, both intangible and tangible cultural elements have lost their value and meaning. The Burra Charter proposes to pre- serve the cultural signifi cance of a site, defi ned in terms of its aesthetic, historic, scientifi c signifi cance of social value (2).