Architecture is the discipline that fossilizes lines of power

Oriental Bazaar Altyn Asyr, Altyn Asyr gündogar bazary is the first-largest market in Turkmenistan, and 5th in Central Asia.Located in the outskirts of Ashgabat, in the residential area Choganly. Built in the shape resembling a Turkmen carpet ornament of Ahal Province. The vast territory of 154 hectares. At the heart of the bazaar – a high clock tower, the main landmark. On its territory there are 2,155 shops. It was built in place of the demolished Tolkuchka Bazaar, is a noted extensive market sprawled across the desert suburbs of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, a few kilometres from the centre. It is the largest open air market in Central Asia. It is noted in particular for its sale of large red Turkmen rugs. The market thrives on a Sunday and sells a massive range of goods sale, from Turkmen carpets, handicrafts and silks, jewelry and jeans to laundry soap, plastic bags to bales of rice. It also has a notable camel market.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, October 1997. The Turkmen military parade in front of President Saparmurat Niyazov’s $100M Presidential Palace. Poverty-stricken, but rich in oil and gas resources, this Central Asian former Soviet republic is ruled by the autocratic President Saparmurat Niyazov, or Turkmenbashi as he has renamed himself. Hollandse Hoogte

I had several professional jobs here it was incredibly evident that the whole goal of the building is to fossilize current lines of power and establish, spatial dominance of order over local population.

My first job – ever, on the bigger professional arena was with my mom’s office, where I was not in the design role much – taking into account that I was 22 yeast old at the time and the nepotism still has its limits :-), but I had a lot larger role than usual, being in charge of the production that was for the first time in the office ( 1992) being completely produced with the computers. The job was Presidential Complex in Turkmenistan. New republic of Turkmenistan, recently separated from dying USSR, rich in oil and natural gas, as well as opioids, one might add, was looking for recognition. I was a part of the negotiation/presentation team that went to present the project to the new president of Turkmenistan.

In the spirit of his newly discovered religion, President Saparmurat Niyazov ( he was a soviet birocrat before becoming a president, so religion came with the presidency 🙂 ) decided not to meet with my mother, since she is a woman, not worthy, but with the lead designer that was (and still is) a man.

Turkmenistan was fantastically exotic, with unbelievable Sunday market, traditional dances and entertainment, and women with rows of gold teeth to showcase the wealth of the family. Researching traditional symbolic woven into carpets (carpets  motifs are on the national flag), learning about the tribes, exploring traditional artisans was, and still is a fabulous memory. But Turkmenistan was extremely poor, devastated in the earthquakes and dire need of roads and infrastructure. However, it also needed to fossilize the current power in the shape of the new presidential complex. Complex had to be covered in (imported Italian) marble, had to toe, with accents in of course – gold. at the same time construction site had to import water, since the chemical quality of local water was not usable for concrete mix. Importing water thru the desert, but not for drinking – for the building….