A cluster of multi-leveled wooden boxes form Kengo Kuma and Associates' new Odunpazari Modern Museum (OMM), which has been opened to the public on September 8, 2019 in Eskişehir, a university city in northwest Turkey.

The 4,500-square-metre museum houses a bright and spacious new home for the 1,000-piece collection of modern and contemporary art owned by architect and businessman Erol Tabanca, the museum is the first of its kind in Eskişehir, a university city in north west Turkey.

The project, led by Yuki Ikeguchi -  principle of Kengo Kuma and Associates, is comprised of a stack of wooden volumes, inspired by the surrounding streetscape of Odunpazari and its history as a timber trading market, museum stands as a new landmark that reconnects the town with its heritage, and as a progressive cultural development for Eskişehir and the Central Anatolia region at large.

"Today’s opening marks the culmination of a visionary process for everyone involved. We are delighted to reveal this unique building, the collection and our exciting inaugural presentations to the community here in my hometown of Eskişehir and to visitors from around the world," said Erol Tabanca, Founder of OMM and Chairperson of Polimeks Holding.

"The idea for OMM was to use architecture to create a link between people and art. We were deeply inspired by the history, culture, people and streetscape of Odunpazari, and we wanted the building to resonate on many levels," said Yuki Ikeguchi, the partner leading the project. 

"We hope that the museum will breathe new life into Eskisehir and become a central and inviting meeting point for the city."

OMM is located in the town of Odunpazari – the heart of the unique city of Eskişehir. Named after the historical timber market it once hosted, Odunpazari (meaning "wood market") is Eskişehir’s oldest area of settlement, dating back to the Seljuk and Ottoman period, and is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. 

Odunpazari is best known for it narrow meandering streets and traditional wooden houses. It is home to the Complex of City Museums comprising the Museum of Modern Glass Art, the Museum of the History of the Republic and the Eskişehir Wax Museum, as well as an array of boutique hotels, artisan shops and restaurants.

"The opening of OMM marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration and innovation in the university city of Eskisehir. We are opening up the doors of the iconic new building to create an institution that will be a stepping stone for young artists. I don’t see OMM as a museum – it’s a platform, a bridge, for young creatives to have their voices heard, said Idil Tabanca, Chairperson and Creative Director of OMM.

Image © Batuhan Keskiner

The museum is situated at the threshold of newly developed urban area and small scale town scape of traditional Ottoman wooden houses. These wooden house, with cantilevered volume at upper level, were built in lines along the meandering small streets that makes the street scape and walk though experience quite unique and unexpected. 

Image © Batuhan Keskiner

"We aim to reflect this street scape quality into the new architectural design of the museum that stands in the urban scale. Our design strategy is to make the volume in aggregation; stacking small boxes to create the urban scale architecture," said Kengo Kuma and Associates.

Stacked boxes are arranged at the street level which is read in the scale of surrounding houses and it grows taller towards the center of the museum to stands in the urban scape that announces itself as new cultural landmark of the area.

The largest installation by Japanese bamboo artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV at OMM.

The stacked and interlocked boxes are designed in various sizes to create diverse scales of exhibition space inside. Boxes at the ground level offers opportunities for large scale art works and installation. The boxes get smaller at upper levels to exhibit smaller, intimate scale art works. The central atrium, composed with timber blocks, connects each level to let the natural light through skylight above. 

Tanabe Chikuunsai IV Installation. Image © Kemal Seçkin

The name of this area “Odunpazari” means “wood market” in Turkish. The exterior envelop of the museum is composed with timber in full extent signifying the history and memory of the place that used to function as market in trading wood. 

At the museum’s opening ceremony on Saturday 7 September, which was attended by important international figures including Kengo Kuma and Yuki Ikeguchi, Japanese 'master' bamboo artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV put the final touches to his ever largest installation, standing at over 6x8 metres. 

Tanabe Chikuunsai IV Installation. Image © Kemal Seçkin

The new commission, which is the most recent piece to join OMM’s evolving collection of modern and contemporary art, was deeply inspired by Odunpazari and its inhabitants, who are represented as one of five interwoven strands along with the four elements: Earth, water, air, fire. Renovating an ancient Japanese craft, the work was made entirely from recycled "Tiger Bamboo" that's unique to one mountain in Kochi, Japan.

Erol Tabanca, Yuki Ikeguchi and Kengo Kuma at the opening ceremony. Image courtesy of OMM

First Exhibition Puts Turkish Artists in the Spotlight

OMM’s ambitious exhibition programme opens with "Vuslat", curated by Turkish curator Haldun Dostoğlu - founder of Galeri Nev Istanbul, which features a selection of over 100 works by 60 leading artists predominantly from Turkey including Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Canan Tolon, Erol Akyavaş, İlhan Koman, Ramazan Bayrakoğlu, Sinan Demirtaş and Tayfun Erdoğmuş.

"Vuslat", which loosely translates as "The Union", was inspired by three scenes of union: Eskisehir gains its first private modern art museum; Erol Tabanca fulfills his dream of sharing his collection with the public, and the collection - much of which has been behind closed doors for years - is showcased in its entirety for the first time.

Split over three floors, the new museum has a variety of exhibition spaces that will house the permanent collection and host a programme of multidisciplinary exhibitions – many of which will be produced in collaboration with leading curators and creatives. The exhibition programme will be complemented by a dynamic public programme, offering seminars, artist talks and workshops.

Site plan

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Plans

Section

Elevations

Access diagram

Project facts

Project title: OMM (Odunpazari Modern Art Museum) 

Client: Polimeks Holdings, INC.

Design Architect: Kengo Kuma and Associates

Team: Yuki Ikeguchi; Partner in charge, Yasemin Sahiner; Project Architect, Man Wai Yiu, Anteo Taro Sanada 

Consultants:

Structural Engineer: SIGMA

Facade Engineer: Ateknik Structural Design

Mechanical engineer: TEMA Engineering and Consulting Trade Ltd.

General contractor: Polimeks Holdings, INC. 

Site: Odunpazari Eskisehir, Turkey 

Principle use: Art Museum

Structural system: Steel, RC

Major materials: Laminated Timber Pine, limestone, Oak flooring, plaster

Site area: 16,360 m2

Total floor area: 3,582 m2

All images © NAARO unless otherwise stated.

All drawings © Kengo Kuma and Associates

> via OMM & Kengo Kuma and Associates