©NAARO
Located in Eskişehir, the cultural capital of Anatolia, among the historical Odunpazarı houses, OMM (Odunpazarı Modern Museum) opened with a remarkable ceremony on September 7, 2019. The design of the OMM building belongs to Kengo Kuma and Associates, a world-renowned architecture office based in Japan, which has frequently included wood construction in its projects and has signed many important projects such as V&A at Dundee, The Exchange, and Kodoma. The person who brought the project to life is Erol TABANCA, an art collector and businessman from Eskişehir, one of the founders of the Odunpazarı Modern Art Foundation.
©NAARO
The museum, which is not open to visitors at the moment due to the preparations for the new exhibition and will be opened again on September 3, shares a common philosophy with Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA), who designed the building. The museum establishes a strong connection with "nature and location". KKAA was inspired by the historical Odunpazarı houses and the cultural texture of the region in the design of the building and brought it to the museum with a modern reflection. KKAA, which often gives a place to natural building materials in its projects, has transferred the traces of Ottoman dome architecture, Odunpazarı civil architecture, and traditional Japanese architecture to OMM's architecture.
©NAARO
Bringing contemporary and cultural change to the cultural capital of Anatolia, OMM establishes a modern link between the city and its history. It has contributed to the cultural development of the city by bringing its modern architecture together with the works of art it exhibits. The structure, which is reminiscent of stacked wooden timbers, created exhibition spaces with different scales and KKAA expressed it as follows:
“In addition, fluid space has been configured by stacking lumber pieces with the same dimensions while shifting them slightly, creating a warm and dynamic ambiance not found in conventional art museums.” -- Kengo Kuma and Associates
©Batuhan Keskiner
Local timber production, which inspired the design of the museum, combined with KKAA's drive to relate to nature and location, shaped the OMM building. The geometry, clustering, and the relationship between wood and light, which stand out in the design of the museum, made the building look more sophisticated and at the same time strike than simple lines. The movement of the light flowing into the space during the day creates an impressive atmosphere within the building.
©NAARO
With its impressive architecture, OMM brings vitality to the district, Odunpazarı, in the evening and at night. It is also a meeting point for the city with its squares opening to the streets of Odunpazarı.
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The images are courtesy of archdaily.com
References:
kkaa.co.jp
omm.art
