Hasanpaşa Gashouse, also known as Kurbağalıdere Gashouse or Kadıköy Gashouse, located on the Anatolian Side of Istanbul, was built in 1892 for gas supply. The building in Kadıköy is a historical industrial building used as a cultural center today. While it was one of the important industrial buildings of the period in Istanbul, the building lost its gas station function with the arrival of natural gas to our country from 1993, it has reopened doors by changing later on its function and name turning into a culture-art, science and activity area called "Museum Gashouse" in 2021.
Many new functions such as climate museum, caricature museum, science center, exhibition areas, theater halls, bookstore and social areas have been added to the units within the building, which was transformed and brought to life by IMM (the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality) in 2021. In this blog, we will examine the 130-year history of the Museum Gashouse.
Gashouse was established at the end of the 19th century to meet the electricity needs of the Anatolian side of Istanbul. It was one of the four gashouses of the period in Istanbul. Kuzguncuk Gashouse on the same side, and Dolmabahçe and Yedikule Gashouse on the European side, provided the illumination of Istanbul. The lighting of the Anatolian Side was carried out with the gas supplied from Kuzguncuk Gashouse since the 1860s. However, the need for a new gas station arose due to the increasing demands and insufficient gas supply. An agreement was signed in 1891 between Engineer Anatoli Barcil and the representative of the Ottoman State, Şehremini Rıdvan Pasha, on behalf of the Parisian iron fabricator Monsieur Şarl Jorji (Charles George). With this agreement, Monsieur Şarl Jorji was given the right to process the coal extracted from the mines, lighting and heating the region up to the borders of Kadıköy and Üsküdar districts, formerly the Sekizinci Daire-i Belediye (Beykoz), for 50 years.
Gashouse was put into service in 1892 under its former name (Üsküdar-Kadıköy Gaz Şirket-i Tenviriyesi). The coal reaching Gashouse, which is located near Kurbağalıdere, via the stream was brought to Gazhane by rail systems and converted into coal gas after processing.
Gashouse worked uninterruptedly until World War I. During and after the war, it had to stop its activity for short periods. Even when feedstocks were not available, coal gas formation was continued by using olive pits in order not to interrupt its activities.
The building continued on functions as a gas house during the Republican period. The agreement with Üsküdar-Kadıköy Gas Company was extended for another 50 years with an additional agreement in 1924. The company that operates Yedikule Gashouse, bought to company Üsküdar-Kadıköy Gas Company in 1926, merged under a common roof under the name of "İstanbul Havagazı ve Elektrik Teşebbüsatı Sınaiye Türk Anonim Şirketi" and continued its working.
Between 1938 and 1944, Kadıköy Gashane continued to exist self-contained. Between 1945-1993, IETT incorporated the gashouse into its structure. Gas production activities of the gas plant were stopped in 1993 due to the almost exhaustion of gas submissions.
The land where Gazhane is located was used for needs such as IETT warehouse and garage, junkyard, garbage dump and coal storage. In 1994, it was decided to dismantle the remaining parts. As a result of the resistance of the residents and the opposition of non-governmental organizations, the destruction of this historical industrial place was prevented and it was declared a protected area.
The non-governmental organization Gashouse Environmental Volunteers started to organize in 1996 and turned into a cooperative in 1998. Volunteers organized many festivals in 2009 and made their voices heard to the authorities, demanding that Gashouse should be transformed into a social space such as a cultural center.
The restoration project, which was prepared by ITU between
1998-2001, was delayed until 2014 by the Conservation Board, but was approved
on this date and was put out to tender by the Istanbul Metropolitan
Municipality administration on January 8, 2014. The project was carried out
collectively with many experts and students under the supervision of architect
Afife Batur and the direction of Gülsün Tanyeli and Kani Kuzucular. The
renovation works, which started on March 7, 2014, and were planned to be
completed in 2019, were completed in 2021. The building was opened as the new
culture and art center of Istanbul on 9 July 2021 under the name of Museum
Gashouse. There are a library named after Afife Batur, two theater halls (300
and 130 seats), eating and drinking places and social areas. In addition,
places such as the parking lot, which are mandatory for the building, have been
made functional and transformed into concert venues.
References:
https://muzegazhane.istanbul/hakkinda/
https://heryasta.org/2021/12/08/tarihi-bir-mekan-hayat-buldu-muze-gazhane/
