In brief
- Factory photographs are now available online in Salt Research’s Photography and Postcard Archive.
- The presentation “From the Archive: Industrial Architecture in Turkey” runs at Salt Galata from 20 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
- The presentation features factory drawings and photographs compiled from different archives.
- The exhibition “No Entry Without Work” explores workplaces and factory stories.
Salt Research has made photographs of factories that form part of Turkey’s industrial heritage available online by adding them to its Photography and Postcard Archive. The presentation “From the Archive: Industrial Architecture in Turkey” at Salt Galata also focuses on the architectural history of factory buildings, running from 20 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. The photographs can be explored through the archive, while the presentation brings together documents selected from different collections.
What does the archive and presentation bring together?
Salt Research’s new photographs feature prominent factories from Turkey’s industrial heritage. The institution’s online Photography and Postcard Archive makes these images accessible to researchers. The presentation at Salt Galata, meanwhile, examines factory drawings and photographs compiled from different Salt Research archives, with a focus on architectural history.
The architects whose work is featured in the presentation include Fazıl Saffet Aysu, Doğan Tekeli and Sami Sisa, Vasil Vingas, Cengiz Bektaş, and Şevki Pekin. Bringing together images and drawings of factories designed by these figures in one program offers an opportunity to trace different examples of industrial design through archival documents.
Why are factories part of architectural history?
Industrial buildings matter not only as places of production, but also as structures that bear traces of working culture and collective memory. Considered alongside factory examples that diversified with private-sector investment from the 1950s onward, facilities established by the state in the early years of the Republic of Turkey place the transformation of production spaces in a broader historical context.
From the 1980s onward, economic change and privatizations that accelerated in the 1990s led to the closure, demolition, or adaptive reuse of some factories. These changes affected not only the buildings but also production practices and working conditions. Archival documents are among the resources that can be used to investigate this layered history.
The exhibition “No Entry Without Work” at Salt Galata also considers workplaces as central to everyday life, yet often invisible, spaces. Its narrative extends from work areas behind closed doors to factory stories pushed to the margins. In this way, the presentation and exhibition draw attention to both the architectural aspects of industrial buildings and their relationship to working life.
What it means for architecture, interior design, and visualization teams
For architects, interior designers, students, and visualization teams working on industrial buildings, photographs and drawings can be part of historical reference research. Comparing archival materials when examining a building’s period, architectural features, or transformation as a place of work can strengthen the basis for a design narrative. The drawings and photographs in the presentation also provide an additional resource for those seeking to study factory designs through documentary evidence.
It is important to distinguish the scope of the archival photographs from that of the presentation at Salt Galata: the material added to the online archive consists of factory photographs, while the presentation includes drawings and photographs compiled from different archives. The sources do not explain image download conditions or reuse licenses. Those planning to use the material in project boards, presentations, or visualization work should therefore check the terms of use separately.
Sources
2 sourcesSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
For offices and visualization teams working on industrial heritage, the photo archive is a useful starting point for adding historical material to design research. The drawings in the Salt Galata presentation also offer an opportunity to consider factory architecture not only through the buildings themselves, but alongside archival documents.
It is important to clarify access and reuse terms before incorporating images into production. The sources do not provide these details. For teams in Turkey, the real value lies in being able to use the documents not just as formal references, but also to understand how these buildings relate to production and working culture.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I access Salt Research’s industrial heritage photographs?
Factory photographs have been added to Salt Research’s online Photography and Postcard Archive. The archive is accessible through the Salt Research website.
How long is the industrial architecture presentation at Salt Galata open?
The presentation “From the Archive: Industrial Architecture in Turkey” runs at Salt Galata from 20 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
Which architects’ factory designs are featured in the presentation?
The presentation includes drawings and photographs of factories designed by Fazıl Saffet Aysu, Doğan Tekeli and Sami Sisa, Vasil Vingas, Cengiz Bektaş, and Şevki Pekin.
