Established in 2006, the Istanbul Project Coordination Unit (known in Turkish by the acronym IPKB) has, as part of the ongoing Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project (ISMEP), reinforced or reconstructed schools, hospitals, and other public buildings constructed in or before 1999. IPKB has also launched several initiatives to raise public awareness of disasters and to enhance the operational capacity of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE).
Istanbul is, by dint of her geography, a city highly prone to earthquakes. While earthquakes are unfortunately inevitable, earthquake preparedness can always be improved upon. We at IPKB have taken advantage of innovative technologies and techniques throughout 2023 to this very end.
We adhere to specific parameters to determine whether a building should be demolished and rebuilt or simply reinforced. Should a structure not meet reinforcement criteria, we proceed with its demolition. In 2023, we reinforced thirty-one schools within an area of 94,930 m2 (113,535 yd2), ensuring they are earthquake resistant and safe for both students and teachers. Of the buildings reinforced, sixteen were primary-middle schools, five were kindergartens, four were high schools, four were service buildings, and two were vocational high schools.
At IPKB, we are dedicated to preparing schools and hospitals in Istanbul to withstand earthquakes and construct innovative, modern, and sustainable buildings. We aim for the schools we rebuild to last for at least one hundred years, to be easily retrofitted with new technologies as they emerge, and to minimize maintenance costs. By incorporating exposed concrete in our building designs, for instance, we are able to significantly reduce the need for regular painting and upkeep expenses. Additionally, the architectural designs we employ optimize natural light and solar heat, thereby helping to keep heating and lighting costs to a minimum.
We completed the reconstruction of all the buildings we had set out to rebuild in 2023. In doing so, we increased the total amount of enclosed area from 42,955 m² (51,374 yd²) and 240 classrooms to 117,813 m² (140,903 yd²) and 380 classrooms. Our reconstruction efforts included twelve primary-middle schools, two vocational high schools, one public education center, and one high school. This equaled a net gain of 74,858 m² (89,529 yd²) in total enclosed area, which in turn allowed for greater student enrollment.
Our reinforcement and reconstruction projects include public administrative buildings. Since many of the buildings housing the agencies forming Çekmeköy’s district governor apparatus were found to be at risk in the event of an earthquake, it was decided that all of these agencies should be consolidated into a single facility. Accordingly, we constructed a new 13,000-m² (15,548-yd2) district governor’s complex in Çekmeköy that comfortably accommodates all of these agencies.
Since 2006, we have reinforced or completely rebuilt a total of 1,384 buildings—of which 1,180 were schools or school-related buildings. The following two tables list the buildings that were reinforced and rebuilt in 2023:
Reinforced Buildings:
| 1 | Bahçelievler Mehmet Akif Ersoy Middle School—A and B Blocs |
| 2 | Bakırköy Nefus Nakipoğlu Special Education Vocational Training Center |
| 3 | Beşiktaş Lütfi Banat Primary School |
| 4 | Beykoz Bozhane Primary School |
| 5 | Beyoğlu Hasköy Middle School—A and B Blocs |
| 6 | Çatalca Kestanelik Imam-Khatib Middle School |
| 7 | Çatalca Ovayenice Örfi Çetinkaya Primary-Middle School |
| 8 | Esenyurt Şair Fevzi Kutlu Kalkancı Middle School |
| 9 | Fatih Vocational Education Center—A Bloc |
| 10 | Bahçelievler Mustafa Nevzat Pisak Vocational Education Center |
| 11 | Beşiktaş Levent Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School |
| 12 | Beşiktaş Yıldız Ertem Kindergarten |
| 13 | Beyoğlu İstiklal Primary School—A and B Blocs |
| 14 | Çatalca Dağyenice Zeki Kisbu Primary School |
| 15 | Çatalca 75. Yıl Cumhuriyet Primary School |
| 16 | Esenyurt Vocational Education Center |
| 17 | Esenyurt Tevfikbey Middle School |
| 18 | Gaziosmanpaşa Kazım Karabekir Anatolian Imam-Khatib High School |
| 19 | Güngören Haznedar Abdi İpekçi Middle School |
| 20 | Kartal İhsan Zakiroğlu Middle School |
| 21 | Kartal Medine Tayfur Sökmen Primary School |
| 22 | Küçükçekmece Zübeyde Hanım Kindergarten |
| 23 | Küçükçekmece Menekşe Special Education Kindergarten |
| 24 | Silivri Girls Anatolian Imam-Khatib High School |
| 25 | Üsküdar Istanbul Stock Exchange Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School—A and B Blocs |
| 26 | Kadıköy Münevver Şefik Fergar Primary School—A Bloc |
| 27 | Kartal Soğanlık Primary School—A and B Blocs |
| 28 | Küçükçekmece Marmara Girls Anatolian Imam-Khatib High School |
| 29 | Küçükçekmece Çiğdem Kindergarten |
| 30 | Küçükçekmece Yasemin Kindergarten |
| 31 | Sultangazi Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School—A and B Blocs, Gymnasium |
Reconstructed Buildings:
| 1 | Üsküdar Burhaniye Primary School |
| 2 | Kağıthane Günebakan Primary School |
| 3 | Kağıthane Osman Tevfik Yalman Middle School |
| 4 | Beşiktaş Murat Beyaz Primary School and District Directorate of National Education |
| 5 | Adalar Büyükada Public Education Center |
| 6 | Bayrampaşa Anatolian High School |
| 7 | Beşiktaş Dikilitaş Mehmetçik Imam-Khatib Middle School |
| 8 | Beşiktaş Hamiyet Gerçek Primary School |
| 9 | Beşiktaş Hüseyin Aycibin Primary School |
| 10 | Beykoz Atatürk Primary-Middle School |
| 11 | Beyoğlu Imam-Khatib Middle School |
| 12 | Kadıköy Anatolian High School |
| 13 | Küçükçekmece Şehit Binbaşı Bedir Karabıyık Multi-Program Anatolian High School |
| 14 | Üsküdar Şehit Mustafa Cambaz Primary School |
| 15 | Eyüpsultan Middle School |
| 16 | Sarıyer Alparslan Primary School |
The Türkiye–Syria earthquakes reminded us just how important ISMEP’s works are in a city such as Istanbul. We witnessed firsthand how ignoring building regulations—whether in terms of materials or workmanship—led to severe damage to or the complete collapse of structures, and therefore the loss of countless lives, at the slightest tremor. Indeed, construction is the synergy of knowledge and craftsmanship, whether for single-story homes or high-rise buildings.
At this stage, I can confidently say that IPKB has accumulated extensive knowledge and experience in constructing modern, innovative, earthquake-resistant, and sustainable buildings that fit all safety regulations. We published our Sustainability Strategy Guide in 2023 to assist contractors and developers in adhering to the aforementioned criteria as they create new living spaces. Interested readers can find this guide at www.ipkb.gov.tr/en/.
At the time of writing, we have approximately 120 school projects in Istanbul, all of which we plan to complete within two years. The construction of Ümraniye’s District Governor’s Complex is ongoing and is scheduled to be operational within the year. Similarly, we are nearing completion of Şişli’s District Governor’s Complex, which will be a significant addition to the area’s administrative infrastructure.
Hospital projects remain a top priority for us. We plan to commence work on the Haydarpaşa Siyami Ersek Campus, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, and Kartal Oncology Hospital within the year. Budget research for these projects is, at the time of writing, well underway. Given their complexity and significant financing requirements, we are working to secure the necessary funds through both domestic sources and international financing opportunities. In this regard, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Türkiye’s Ministry of Treasury and Finance both for their continued support and for facilitating the acquisition of international loans on our behalf.