Pelin Derviş

Architect. Lives and works in Istanbul as an independent researcher, writer and editor. Her research and related activities focus mainly on 20th century architecture and design in Turkey. 

Graduated from Istanbul Technical University, completed her master’s degree at the History of Architecture Program of the same institution. After working in her architectural practice, Atmosphere Planning and Design Office, on projects of various types and dimensions ranging from urban inventory projects to spatial and to object design between 1999 and 2004, she focused on the cultural production aspect of and researches on architecture and design. While working as the director of Garanti Gallery, Istanbul (was an institution based on urbanism, architecture and design) worked on various exhibitions, events and publications (2005-2010). She contributed to the founding efforts of SALT (while Garanti Gallery, Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center and the Ottoman Bank Archives and Research Center merged to form it). In 2010 she started working as an independent. In 2014 founded Müşterek Yapım where she still continues to perform projects in these fields. She contributed to the founding and developing efforts of the City and Children Studies Master’s Degree Program at Kadir Has University (2018-2020). In 2020, she founded Pelin Derviş Publication Project, an initiative of Müşterek Yapım. 

Her works based on research, documentation and cultural activities come to life with the cooperation of various institutions, independent architects and designers.Some of the institutions that she collaborated are SALT (she took part in the founding and developing efforts of SALT Research, Architecture and Design Archive; co-curated the Performance of Modernity: Atatürk Cultural Center, 1946-1977 exhibition); VitrA (coordinator of the VitrA Contemporary Architecture Series’ exhibitions); Istanbul Modern (coordinator of YAP İstanbul Modern: Young Architects Program, which was realized biannually in partnership with The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA / MoMA PS1); Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (project coordinator of the Pavilion of Turkey’s exhibition Places of Memory at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia); Studio-X Istanbul (project developer and coordinator of “Design Chronology Turkey | Draft” realized within the 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial; curator of Architectural Model Making in Turkey and Yılmaz Zenger exhibitions); Superpool (City and Children Studies Master Program). Since 2018 she collaborates with Doğan Tekeli on his archive and publications as a consultant.

Some of the publications she contributed are: Becoming Istanbul (2008); Tracing Istanbul [from the air] (2009); Mapping Istanbul (2009); Istanbul Para-Doxa: Conversations on the City and Architecture (2010); Made in Şişhane: On Istanbul, Small-scale Production, and Design (2011); Places of Memory (2014); An Atypical Architectural Practice DS: From Rural Painting to Landscape / From Documentation to Preservation (2016).