The new Istanbul Museum of Modern Art spans five floors with a total usable area of 10,500 square meters. It features a large exhibition hall, multifunctional spaces, dedicated educational areas, offices, and commercial facilities.
The building is structured on an 8.4 by 8.4-meter grid, utilizing reinforced concrete columns designed to withstand major seismic events. Circular columns and mechanical funnels create a distinctive landscape on the ground floor. Their rounded shapes soften the play of light and shadow, eliminating harsh boundaries and fostering a bright, secure atmosphere.
On the first floor, visitors find the library, café, museum shop, information desk, and educational workshop spaces adjacent to the main hall. Below the main building, a transparent glass fence shields the outdoor sculpture terrace and provides protection for the children’s education area. A spacious central staircase suspended over a large void connects all public areas within the museum.
From the first-floor lobby, stairs descend to a 156-seat auditorium located on an underground mezzanine. The photography and pop-up galleries also occupy this floor, alongside staff offices, education rooms, and activity areas. The restaurant, positioned on the south facade, offers an outdoor terrace with stunning views of the sea.
All upper-level lobbies offer visitors views of Tophane Park and the Bosphorus Strait. These visual connections to the surrounding environment help visitors orient themselves within the museum.
The second floor contains 3,300 square meters of exhibition space, accommodating both permanent and temporary exhibitions. A staircase from the second-floor lobby ascends to a glass lantern leading to a 650-square-meter rooftop viewing platform. This platform floats over a shallow water surface that spans the entire roof, reflecting the cityscape and sea, creating a poetic connection between the urban environment and nature.
Project Drawings
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Partial Sectional View
△ Partial Sectional View
△ Schematic Diagram of Enlarged Metal Plate Elevation
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Architects: Arup, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Project Year: 2023
Photographers: Cemal Emden, Enrico Cano, Meltem Sarı
Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
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