Murat Tabanlıoğlu

A modern architectural complex is illuminated at night with bold red and white walls beneath a deep blue sky, marked by a tall sign reading “Istanbul Modern.”

Istanbul Modern

Istanbul, Turkey
An art installation on a white wall displays the words "TREMOR", "RUMOUR", and "HOOVER" in colorful letters made of various materials. The surrounding gallery features a polished concrete floor and additional artworks on display.
Client
Istanbul Museum Of Modern Arts
Year
2003
Status
Built
Type
Cultural

In the early 2000s, as part of the Galataport masterplan, one of its few implemented components was the transformation of an existing warehouse into what became Turkey’s first and, for many years, only modern art museum. The original structure was one of the port warehouses designed in the 1960s within Sedad Hakkı Eldem’s masterplan for Istanbul’s harbor. The project preserved the essential qualities of the building, without enlarging or altering its form, and focused instead on strengthening and updating it to meet contemporary standards.

A view of a river at dusk, with buildings and parked vehicles in the foreground. The skyline features minarets and a distant city outline against a gradient sky transitioning from pink to purple.
An art gallery interior featuring a white wall with a blue and gold wall sculpture spelling "BAD". To the right, there are wooden crates stacked on the floor. The space has polished concrete flooring and modern lighting.
An outdoor sculpture made of large, grey, cylindrical forms positioned upright and leaning against each other, situated near the white exterior wall of the Istanbul Modern museum. The sky is overcast.
A black and white image depicting a construction site next to a street. In the background, there are buildings including a historical structure. In the foreground, coils of wire are placed on a railing.

The renovation highlighted the building’s industrial character, using its grey and white palette to allow the artworks to stand out. Transparent façades were introduced on the side facing Topkapı Palace and the historic skyline, creating a direct visual relationship between the museum interior, the Bosphorus waterfront and the layered history of the city.

A ceiling installation made of various open books hanging upside down, creating an artistic display in a library setting.
A panoramic view of a coastal city skyline with residential buildings and greenery on a hillside, alongside a waterfront structure by the sea under a clear blue sky.
A spacious art gallery featuring colorful paintings on white walls, with a polished floor and overhead lights illuminating the space. In the center, a gray bench is positioned along a long corridor leading to a rear wall.