Dror for Istanbul Modern

Suspended expression by the Bosphorus

The story of the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is an inspiring tale: despite the problematic issues contemporary art presents to the region, one family’s dream to bring it to the city prevailed. With an interest in the surrounding area, we proposed a new facade that honors and memorializes this enduring achievement.

I began thinking about the relationship between modern art and its artists, and how I might relate that to a structure that sits on the Bosphorus. Art conjures up the idea of a suspended expression—a split second held at a standstill. A fountain, for example, could be represented as a motionless, elevated mass. This notion of art capturing a suspended experience formed the foundation of our concept.

Our concept consists of a minimal white rectangle, which, like contemporary galleries, aims to take nothing away from the art inside. Surrounding the structure is a series of narrow shoots, each built of a slender tower of independently stacked fragments of bleached concrete. The shoots extend to various heights, evoking a fountain frozen in time. A thin slit of glass peeks through the top of the museum's boardwalk-facing side, providing sweeping views for a terrace or café.

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