Transformation of Republican Era Industrial Structure/Campus: The Case of Sümerbank Merinos Woolen Weaving Factory

Abstract

The industrialization movement that began with the Industrial Revolution started to be felt in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. These industrialization efforts did not show the same progress throughout all Ottoman territories, usually developing in the capital, Istanbul, and its surrounding areas. Production, which previously took place in small workshops scattered across different parts of the city, required new spaces where machines were present and production occurred in a serialized manner; this led to the emergence of a new architectural type: industrial buildings. During this process, the technical equipment and personnel for the numerous industrial buildings established either by private enterprises or the state were often sourced from the countries from which technology was brought. The industrialization that began in the late Ottoman period continued into the Republican Era. Industrial facilities initially established by private enterprises began to be set up by institutions established by the state over time. One of these establishments, the Bursa Merinos Wool Weaving Factory founded by Sümerbank, is among the industrial buildings that paved the way for the sociological, ideological, and societal modernization of the Early Republican period.

This study examines the development/change of the Bursa Merinos Campus, established within Sümerbank, over its historical process and addresses its transformation in the context of preservation following the privatization process in the early 2000s.