Past imaginaries: A scenario of spatial politics for an alternative present in post-earthquake Antakya

Post-earthquake recovery processes and their impact on society are related to physical structures and constructions as well as decision-makers, policies, regulations, organizations and the relationships between these elements. Antakya, being one of the cities most affected by the earthquake doublet of February 6, 2023, and the changes it went through after the earthquake form the basis of this research. The aim of the research is to examine the post-earthquake political processes from an architectural perspective through the investigation of the school buildings network in the city center of Antakya. By using architectural representation tools, the transformations in the institutional and physical infrastructure of educational networks are associated with decision-making mechanisms and decision-makers. Through this study, an alternative narrative is presented where architectural and political elements coexist. Furthermore, a specific school within the network is subjected to a detailed retrospective study and forms a case for the spatial political research at the building level. In this thesis, an alternative politics is imagined through process mapping as a methodology for the design of a school building in an alternative present. In this scenario, the impact of alternative decisions and alternative relationships between decision makers on the specific case school, and their potential to transform it are discussed. Based on the aim, the context and the methodology of this thesis, the architectural project is proposed as a ground on which the dynamics of architecture and politics, the problems and opportunities they produce can be discussed.