Assembled together with wood strips, a series of stacked boxes house the new Odunpazari Museum of Modern Art in the Turkish city of Eskisehir, a university town with a large young population and a lively and active atmosphere. The plot is on the boundary of a new development area and a traditional center formed by small houses around zigzagging streets. The project seeks to reflect the quality of this urban landscape characterized by its small scale, through the fragmentation of the program in pieces that interlock to generate different spaces. At street level, the volumes shift forward and back in tune with the roofscape, whereas towards the center the complex expands to generate a new cultural landmark that is visible from afar.

The central atrium connects the different levels to let natural light through the ceiling. Aside from generating a representative image, the use of wood makes reference to the history of the place because Odunpazari means ‘wood market’ in Turkish. The precision of the construction details emphasizes the building’s sculptural character, so it becomes the first piece of the museum.