Engineering an architectural masterpiece for Istanbul

As the local architect and engineer for this flagship project, Arup was appointed by the Museum’s patron Eczacıbaşı Group, to deliver the detailed elements of the Renzo Piano design in a complex site. Our teams in London and Istanbul worked together to provide multi-disciplinary engineering design as well as specialist services including detailed lighting and acoustics design, as well as façade and cost consultancy.  

Built on a waterfront plot in Karaköy, the redevelopment of Istanbul Modern is part of the major Galataport regeneration of the city’s historic dock, including a new cruise-ship terminal with a huge underground complex including retail and restaurant facilities, a hotel and parking space. As one of the main locations of the Istanbul Biennial, the sleek yet subtle design of the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art helps reinforce the city’s image as a major cultural capital. As importantly, the project is highly sustainable, having earned LEED ‘Gold’ certificatation. 

Seismic expertise for earthquake resilience

With a simple, pared-back outline, the building evokes a series of stacked shipping containers: the cantilevered top floor is covered by concave aluminum panels, which create a shimmering, iridescent envelope evocative of fish scales. With a total footprint of 15,000m², the museum will serve not only as a hub of contemporary art but as a meeting place for the community and the city.  

The ‘transparent’ ground floor offers views to the waterfront promenade – and includes public spaces like a café, bookshop, library and information points. The first floor will accommodate photo and pop-up galleries, multipurpose rooms and staff offices; while the second floor will house the permanent collection and temporary shows with 3,300m² of exhibition space. Delivering on Renzo Piano’s brief to create a ‘see-through’ ground floor posed several engineering challenges, given the museum is located in an active seismic area. Moving away from traditional, ‘heavy’ engineering solutions like shear walls and large columns, our engineers developed a high-performing composite frame system with steel cross bracings. Anchoring the building to the ground, the slender nine-metre-high columns are 60cm in diameter, with an internal profile that enhance the capacity of the section and ensures safety by transferring the loads to the braced frames in case of a quake. 

Beyond the seismic resilience issues, the site ownership also made this a complex project to deliver. Our engineers and architects worked closely with Galataport – a project developed by Doğuş Group and Bilgili Holding, to process the permits for the overall building structure, including the new museum above ground; and worked with Galataport authorities to deliver the earthquake-proof pile design and foundations for the building’s two underground floors.