Theme park as a socio-cultural and architectural program: A critical review of Ankapark, Ankara

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mimarlık Fakültesi, Mimarlık Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2018

Öğrenci: GÜN SU EYÜBOĞLU

Danışman: İNCİ BASA

Özet:

Theme parks are socio-cultural amusement spaces that entwine spatiotemporal worlds within symbolic landscapes. These artificial worlds whether their source is real or imaginary are actualized with the extended tools of visual and auditory multimedia presentations. Beginning from world fairs to amusement parks, the contemporary amusement space shifted its paradigm to theme parks. The concept of theme park, as a popular amusement form that has been dismissed as part of the mass culture or popular culture, opens up a variety of discussions about the relationship of architecture to culture, identity, consumption, exhibition, recreation, and fiction. Recently, Turkey has been transpiring theme park investments on an increase with Vialand, Land of Legends and finally Ankapark. However, the concept of theme park is both unfamiliar to Turkey and the industry is out of blue. The intention of this thesis is to introduce the phenomenon “theming” with a wider debate following theme park as a multidisciplinary product. Postmodern, cognitive, spatiotemporal, expressive, cultural and urban consequences brought by theme parks are critically reviewed in the context of Ankapark to provide a developed perspective to understand theme parks.