Erdogan's new presidential palace

[alhoon]

http://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-unveil...025642282.html

The gist: Erdogan will move in a new presidential palace, that's very large and very expensive. Aside of those, doing this breaks from (as far as I understand) important traditions of Turkey and many there want to boycott the "housewarming" party.

Aside of breaking from important tradition, something I can't judge since I have no idea about it, I'm more concerned with the astronomic cost of 280M Euro to build a new presidential palace, when they already have one. I don't really care about the trees they cut.
I believe this palace was not needed and the extravagance is only making it more sore for the opposition. It seems more a move of Erdogan to say to everyone in Turkey "I rule here, despite tradition and cost".

[Nicov55]

http://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-unveil...025642282.html
I'm more concerned with the astronomic cost of 350M Euro to build a new presidential palace".

Wait...350M Euros for this???

[alhoon]

350M$ or 280 million Euro. It has 1000 rooms and architecture, opulence etc. I don't think the figure reported is much off.

[Tureuki]

He could spend 1 billion as well and his supporters would still clap. I fear for the future of this country.

[Treize]

He should just move to Dolmabahçe really.

[Tureuki]

He should just move to Dolmabahçe really.

This guy is after creating his own legacy thats why instead of using old buildings, he's trying to build big ass mosques and palaces.

[Nicov55]

I find that building absolutely ugly. It looks like some North Korean compound. Now it's just a question of taste of course but still...
There are enough great architectural achievements in the various great civilizations that existed in today's Turkey to find a better inspiration.

[Sphere]

I actually really like the architecture. The large overhangs, shallow roof pitch, colors and patterning actually reminds me of a Frank Lloyd Wright's new prairie style.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I dislike the man, and am a strong supporter of Turkish Secular democracy, but most great buildings are constructed by bad people.

[hellheaven1987]

I dislike the man, and am a strong supporter of Turkish Secular democracy, but most great buildings are construction by bad people.

But Erdogan is secular and democratic!!

[Stavroforos]

I really don't like its style. I mean, if you're going to create huge buildings that are supposed to have public functions and are meant to last a long time to cement legacies and all that, why not build in classical styles? This is going to be such a pain in the arse to maintain throughout the years, but I suppose designing a neo-Ottoman building might have been a bit too much.

[Diocle]

Yes Stavro, I agree the building is horrid, the Post-Modern style was fashionable in the Western World 30 years ago, and this time lapse tells us a lot of things about Herdogan and his policy ...

To make the things easy and just to get an idea about the matter:

This is the new German Chanchellery in 2001:



This was the Neue Reichskanzlei by Albert Speer in 1938:



To you guys finding which of these two styles is closer to the 'architectural' tastes of Mr. Erdogan ...

[Treize]

This guy is after creating his own legacy thats why instead of using old buildings, he's trying to build big ass mosques and palaces.

I am a great hater of modern architecture. I do like the 19th century Ottoman style alot however.
Everything built after 1940 tends to be totally hideous.

Yes Stavro, I agree the building is horrid, the Post-Modern style was fashionable in the Western World 30 years ago, and this time lapse tells us a lot of things about Herdogan and his policy ...

To make the things easy and just to get an idea about the matter:

This is the new German Chanchellery in 2001:



This was the Neue Reichskanzlei by Albert Speer in 1938:



To you guys finding which of these two styles is closer to the 'architectural' tastes of Mr. Erdogan ...

The first building is hideous. The second one is minimalistic but rather nice.

[Sphere]

But Erdogan is secular and democratic!!

AKP and Erdogan came to power due to Islamic populism, and legitimate criticism of the political establishment. They have used their political power to suppress the opposition. The New Yorker put it into a nutshell,

But Erdoğan’s rule has another, darker side, which the West seems intent on ignoring: an increasingly harsh campaign to crush domestic opposition. In the past five years, more than seven hundred people have been arrested, including generals, admirals, members of parliament, newspaper editors and other journalists, owners of television networks, directors of charitable organizations, and university officials. Some fifteen per cent of the active admirals and generals in the Turkish armed forces are now on trial for conspiring to overthrow the government.

If he wins re-election as president (which is likely) he will have been in effective control of the Turkish government for two decades. In the 2014 elections, there is good evidence that the AKP has even started to dabble in electoral fraud (WashPost), something that modern Turkey has more or less been free of up to this point.

This is behavior closer to Putin's Russia than a Western Democracy.

[alhoon]

Putin didn't built himself a palace worth 1/2300 of his country's GDP.

[Sphere]

Putin didn't built himself a palace worth 1/2300 of his country's GDP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin's_Palace

The estimated cost was $1 Billion which would be 1/2000 of Russia's GDP.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Stavroforos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin's_Palace

The estimated cost was $1 Billion which would be 1/2000 of Russia's GDP.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Two differences:
-it's private, and if and how public funds were used is unknown
-it looks much better, so it's worth it regardless.

[alhoon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin's_Palace

The estimated cost was $1 Billion which would be 1/2000 of Russia's GDP.

Not being a spoil-sport, but I like Erdogan's better. Also it was sold for 350M, so I don't think it actually cost 1 Billion.
By I digress...

My opinion on Putin sunk lower. I knew he was lining his pocket but a palace of that size is beyond rediculous

[Mayer]

Not quite as ugly as his mosque

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

but still far away from something appealing to the eyes

But Erdogan is secular and democratic!!

He wants you to believe it. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.

I am a great hater of modern architecture. I do like the 19th century Ottoman style alot however.
Everything built after 1940 tends to be totally hideous.

I guess you are not a big fan of this guy:

[Roma_Victrix]

Putin didn't built himself a palace worth 1/2300 of his country's GDP.

Could you imagine heads exploding at Fox News in the US if Obama tried something like this? "THAT'S OUR TAX DOLLARS HE'S USING!" There would be an impeachment trial in Congress the very next day, no doubt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin's_Palace

The estimated cost was $1 Billion which would be 1/2000 of Russia's GDP.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

They have so much in common that Erdogan and Putin should be best of pals and close buddies, if it wasn't for Crimea and the Turkic Tatars living there under Putin's rule.

[Treize]

Modern governments should just stop building thing or allow people to build things, unless they use pre-war architecture.