An Architectural Project Competition in Anatolia: Vedat Dalokay and Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Kayseri Branch, 1964-1968

Architectural project contests were not only a way of obtaining architectural designs during the Republic period, but also served as a catalyst for the dissemination of modern architectural discourse and production in Anatolian cities. Architectural competitions have contributed significantly to creating the modern architectural identity of the Republic in other Anatolian cities. In this context, the goverment, which wanted to increase the architectural culture and level of public buildings primarily in the 1960s, organized architectural project competitions in many cities of Anatolia. Using the framework of the Central Bank Kayseri Branch building as a case study, the following areas will be examined: the 1960s architectural competitions, their role in promoting the Anatolia of modern architectural production in Turkey, and the work of designers Vedat Dalokay and Orhan Dinç. The Bank was built as a result of an architectural project competition in 1964. By studying and revealing its modern architectural design, one can evaluate the modern architectural environment of Anatolia in the 1960s to better understand the rationalist form language of Dalokay architecture. In addition, the aim of the study is to reveal how these competitions contributed to modern architecture as well as the quality of the built environment in the city. Furthermore, the study will propose the historic registration of the Bank, which has an important place in the commercial memory of the city. Accordingly, despite the limited production and inadequate number of buildings that can represent practical 1960s Turkish architecture, the building will reveal the modern architectural style of the period through the examination of architectural recordings.