Pera Palace Hotel Construction Technology

Abstract

From the first quarter of the 18th century, a new perspective for European civilization was adopted by the Ottoman Empire and this Westernization concept was transformed into an essential revolutionary movement in governmental and social structure.Therefore, the initials steps of implementing any change were taken with the decision of constructing the buildings with new functions that are required as the necessary structures of modern state and public, according to European architectural design models with modern building materials and construction technologies. Building materials fabricated by European industry, such as brick, steel and concrete, as well as construction technologies like brick arch, steel-frame and concrete were important determinants in the historical evolution of Ottoman architecture after the first quarter of the 19th century. One of the first structures built with the new function and construction technology of Ottoman architecture is Pera Palace Hotel (1895) designed by famous architect of this period, Alexander Vallaury. Apart from the Ottoman palaces, it's a building that the first electricity is supplied, the first elevator is located and the first hot water is active. In this paper, the architectural characteristics of the first modern hotel structure built in the Pera region, the construction system vertically supported by prefabricated bricks and arched floor with steel beams will be carried out in the frame of the original architectural projects.The significance of the building will be revealed in terms of cultural values of the Ottoman architecture.