Revitalising Collective Memory in the Public Space: Converting Historical Sites into Museums in the Process of Urban Change

Cities undergo constant transformation, both physically and socially, throughout history. Along with urbanisation processes, the fading of public memory, the disappearance of industrial heritage and everyday living spaces weaken the sense of social belonging. However, reclaiming these old structures for public cultural functions, such as museums, provides multifaceted benefits for the city and society. Museums are not only institutions that display artefacts, but also dynamic spaces that enable the reproduction of a shared past, a multi-layered identity, and a sense of community. This article discusses the transformative role of museums in revitalising collective culture in the public sphere and, in particular, the importance of reclaiming areas that have been left unused, are privately owned or have heritage value, and repurposing them as museums for the benefit of society, using the example of museums in Istanbul. In this context, the aim of the research is to investigate the impact of such changes in physical space on art, the urban landscape, and society. Within this scope, cultural and artistic structures added to Istanbul in the last five years have been researched, and their contribution to the city has been determined. The study was conducted using qualitative methods and includes analyses of sample museums through literature review and observation. This study reveals that the conversion of historical structures into museums during the urban transformation process plays a critical role in the reconstruction of collective memory in the public sphere The study found that making industrial heritage accessible to the public through museums not only preserves its historical layers but also plays a significant role in shaping people’s daily lives and carrying collective memory into the future.