EPHEMERA: City as Stage / Nisanur BAŞTAŞ

EPHEMERA: City as Stage is a performance art museum that explores the relationship between the ephemeral nature of performance and the permanence of architectural space. The project emerges from an observation of Istanbul as a city where performance naturally occurs within everyday life. Streets, squares, and transitional spaces such as Istiklal Street, Taksim Square, Beşiktaş, and Galata frequently transform into spontaneous stages. These temporary acts, however, often disappear without being documented, leaving only traces in collective memory. 

Rather than attempting to fix performance in time, EPHEMERA proposes a museum that translates ephemeral acts into spatial experience. The city itself is treated as a constantly changing stage, while the museum functions as an interface between street performance and architectural space. In this sense, the building is not conceived as a static exhibition container but as a flexible structure that adapts to changing programs and uses. 

The spatial organization of the project is based on flexibility and accessibility. Performance spaces are deliberately separated from the museum exhibition areas, allowing public participation independent of museum opening hours. A system of ramps connects different ground levels directly to the main performance hall, creating multiple points of access rather than a single prescribed route. This circulation strategy enables visitors to encounter performances from different directions and levels, reinforcing the idea of movement as an integral part of the experience. 

Circulation spaces are designed not merely as transitional zones but as performative environments where bodies, movement, and encounters become part of the architectural narrative. Large column-free volumes provide adaptable spaces for diverse performance types, while suspended ramps and open voids enhance visual and spatial continuity. Transparent and semi-open façades further strengthen the relationship between interior and exterior, allowing performances to extend beyond the building envelope. 

Ultimately, EPHEMERA proposes a museum that does not aim to preserve performance as a fixed object, but instead embraces its temporary and transformative nature. The project offers a spatial framework where performance remains alive through experience, movement, and memory, positioning architecture as an active participant in the performative life of the city.