kengo kuma-designed odunpazari modern museum in turkey opens in june

located in the university town of eskişehir, northwest turkey, the odunpazari modern museum (OMM) by kengo kuma and associates is set to open in june 2019. founded by art collector and businessman erol tabanca, the 4,500 square meter museum will house an internationally significant collection of modern and contemporary art spanning the 1950s to the present day.

all images © kengo kuma and associates

kengo kuma‘s stacked timber design pays homage to local architecture, particularly odunpazari’s traditional ottoman wooden cantilevered houses, as well as the town’s history as a thriving wood market. built to formulate a museum square together with other cultural institutions in the surrounding area, OMM‘s distinct architecture marks it a new cultural landmark for the town.

’at the heart of this project was a desire to create a link between people and art,’ kengo kuma, founder, and yuki ikeguchi, partner leading the project, of kengo kuma and associates note. ‘we wanted the building to carry the history and memory of the town, to resonate both on a human scale and with the unique streetscape of odunpazari, which passing through is a special experience in itself. we very much look forward to seeing the public enjoy and interact with the building.’

the museum is split over three floors, starting with larger exhibition spaces at the ground level that echo the rhythm and scale of the surrounding townscape, and continuing with smaller rooms on the upper level designed for smaller-scale artworks. a skylit atrium at the center visually connects the different floors internally while allowing plenty of natural light to enter the building. OMM’s inaugural exhibition will showcase artists from turkey and a new commission by acclaimed japanese artist tanabe chikuunsai IV, along with the exhibitions of the permanent galleries, and a a dynamic public program, offering seminars, artist talks and workshops.

‘we are delighted to announce that the museum will open in june and look forward to opening our doors’, erol tabanca, founder of OMM says. ‘it is my privilege to give this museum and open up the collection to visitors all over the world to enjoy. OMM will stand as a new landmark that reconnects the town with its history, and as a progressive cultural development for eskişehir and the central anatolian region at large.’