On the Threshold of Privacy and Publicness: The Changing Face of Dead-End-Streets in Fatih, Istanbul

Interior space establishes a dynamic connection not only with the structure it is part of but also with the surrounding environment. This bond is shaped by form, as well as by the social meaning the user establishes with the environment. Dead-end-streets in the historical peninsula of Istanbul were historically household-specific areas that provided privacy and functioned as an extension of the living room. This intense relationship has undergone a rupture through changes in meaning and form with modern urbanization. This study examines the transformation of dead-end-streets in the Fatih district across two axes. Firstly, the current situation in dead-end-streests surrounded by residences was investigated by holding the "residential area component" constant. Secondly, the street use related to the interior space in mixed-use/commercial dead-end-streets was analyzed by holding the "active street use component" constant. Findings, supported by archival documents and field studies, indicate that the number of dead-end-streets connected to residential use today is limited, and the interior space functions more introverted. Conversely, the only areas where dead-end-streets are actively utilized are the commercial ones, serving as an outward extension of the businesses. Therefore, in contrast to the harsh rupture in the residential axis, the tradition of the dead-end-street functioning in relation to the interior space has been re-established as a functional extension in commercial areas, thereby allowing dead-end-streets to persist.