for the 12th istanbul art biennale, japanese architect ryue nishizawa has designed three floors of exhibition space in the coastal warehouses along the turkish city’s bosphorous river, next to the istanbul museum of modern art. accommodating the works of 56 individual artists and 5 group shows, the design consists of a number of freestanding pavilions of various sizes that provide an adjustable and independent space for each work being featured.

 

taking advantage of the wide open spaces of antrepo no. 3 and no. 5, the venue design introduces a level of density through the collection of box-like rooms which resemble shipping containers in their industrial finish. the height and footprint of each pavilion varies, catering to a wide spectrum of work and their individual qualities. in addition to housing mechanical equipment away from views, the network of interstitial space generated between the rooms serve as circulation routes, acting as a form of ‘path of desire’ between exhibitions. this neutral organization enables visitors to experience the biennale in a free and personal fashion. to see our coverage of the works being featured in this year’s biennale, click here.

ryue nishizawa: istanbul
free standing pavilions divide the industrial space into small galleries
image © designboom (also main image)

ryue nishizawa: istanbul
external views of arranged pavilions
image © designboom

ryue nishizawa: istanbul
view through the individual spaces
image © designboom

ryue nishizawa: istanbul
views of the interior exhibition space
images © office of ryue nishizawa

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
a view of the freestanding structures in the context of the industrial space
image © designboom

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
exterior finish of pavilions
image © office of ryue nishizawa

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
interstitial space between two pavilions
image courtesy istanbul art biennale
image © mahmut ceylan

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
model of antrepo 3 / first floor
image © designboom

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
model of antrepo 5 / ground floor
image © designboom

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
model of antrepo 5 / first floor
image © designboom

ryue nishizawa: istanbul art biennale 2011 pavilion design
rendered view of exhibition space
image © office of ryue nishizawa

 

 

project info:

 

client: istanbul biennale
director: bige orer
curators: adriano pedrosa, jens hoffman

design team: yumiko tokuno, taeko nakatsubo
structural engineer: hiroki osanai
executive architect: duygu dogan
assistant of executive architect: yasar kayhan
construction company: ozsoy insaat