Giulio Mongeri, Edoardo De Nari and the 'Società Anonima Ottomana Costruzioni'

The study acknowledges the history of “Società Anonima Ottomana Costruzioni” (S.A.O.C.) founded in Istanbul in 1911 with mainly Italian financial capital. The analysis of the experiences that characterised the Company’s beginnings and gradual consolidation in the construction field in Istanbul and in Turkey are interwoven, on one hand, with the commitment undertaken in the experimentation and innovation of architectural techniques and, on the other, with the reformation of the process of negotiations with Maison Hennebique to obtain a licence for constructions in reinforced concrete in Turkey. This Company made an important contribution to the consolidation and dissemination of this technique, thanks to two people: the architect Giulio Mongeri, who trained in Milan at the Brera Academy, and the businessman Edoardo De Nari, skilful mediator between financial institutions and Italian associations (Banca Commerciale Italiana, Banca Commerciale d’Oriente, Associazione Nazionale per il Sostegno dei Missionari italiani all’estero) and the Turkish government. This study is a partial result of the research carried out in 2012 at the Centre d’archives d’architecture du XXe siècle at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine of Paris, sustained by the European Union within the scope of the Cost Project on the topic of European Architecture beyond Europe: sharing research and knowledge on dissemination processes, historical data and material legacy 19th-20th century.