pavilion design of the 12th istanbul art biennale by ryue nishizawa in istanbul, turkey
image © designboom


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' 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.



free standing pavilions divide the industrial space into small galleries
image © designboom



external views of arranged pavilions
image © designboom



view through the individual spaces
image © designboom



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



a view of the freestanding structures in the context of the industrial space
image © designboom



exterior finish of pavilions
image © office of ryue nishizawa

interstitial space between two pavilions
image courtesy istanbul art biennale
image © mahmut ceylan

model of antrepo 3 / first floor
image © designboom



model of antrepo 5 / ground floor
image © designboom



model of antrepo 5 / first floor
image © designboom



rendered view of exhibition space
image © office of ryue nishizawa

floor plan / level +1 of antrepo 3
image © office of ryue nishizawa

floor plan / level 0 of antrepo 5
image © office of ryue nishizawa

floor plan / level +1 of antrepo 5
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