Turkey at the threshold. Architectural Design vol 80 no 1 Jan/Feb 2010

All eyes are currently on Turkey with Istanbul's status as European Capital of Culture 2010. It makes it a pertinent moment to take stock and to look at Turkey's past, present and future, bringing the nation's cultural renaissance and evolution to the fore internationally. Since the early 2000s, Turkey has undergone a remarkable economic recovery, which has been accompanied by urban development and a cultural flowering. Positioned between an expanding European Union and an unstable Middle East, the country provides a fascinating interface between the Occident and the Orient. Taking into account the current political concerns with consolidating Eastern and Western cultures, Turkey is poised at a vital global crossroads:

• Tackles aspects of globalisation and the potential threat that a rapid rolling out of an overly homogenised built environment poses to rich local building traditions that are founded on specific, climatic, knowledge and cultural diversity.
• Provides an analytical approach that highlights specific aspects of Turkey's rich heritage and current design culture.
• Features work by established and emerging design practices in Turkey.
• Contributors include Tevfik BalcIoglu, Gülsüm Baydar, Edhem Eldem, Tolga islam, Zeynep Kezer, Ugur Tanyeli, ilhan Tekeli and Banu Tomruk.

Hülya Ertas is the managing editor of the monthly published architecture and design magazine XXI in Turkey and editor of the Yeni Mimar architecture newspaper. She completed her architectural education at Istanbul Technical University in 2005, where she is currently studying for her MSc in architecture. Her research areas cover spectacular architecture and its reflections on the daily life of citizens, how globalisation affects architecture, and the ethics of the architectural practice.

Michael U Hensel is an architect, researcher and writer. He is Professor for Research by Design at AHO – the Oslo School for Architecture and Design, where he is involved in setting up an architectural research centre. He is founding and board member of the OCEAN Research and Design Association, as well as board member of BIONIS – the Biomimetics Network for Industrial Sustainability – and editorial board member of AD and the Journal of Bionic Engineering. He has published, taught, lectured and exhibited in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. His research interest and forthcoming publications focus on performance-oriented architecture.

Defne Sunguroglu Hensel is an architect, interior architect and researcher. She has completed her Diploma, RIBA II and MSc in architecture at the Architectural Association. She is currently pursuing her PhD entitled ‘Multiple Performance Integration Model’ as a research fellow at AHO – the Oslo School for Architecture and Design. She is a board member of the OCEAN Research and Design Association. She has been involved in numerous research projects that have focused on performance-oriented design methods, design innovation and alternative approaches to sustainability in architecture. She has taught, lectured and exhibited internationally and her work has been published widely.