Museum of Modern Architecture / KARDELEN YURDAKAN
The Museum of Modern Architecture, located in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, aims to make the city’s modernization process visible through spatial and conceptual interpretations. The main motivation of the project is the historical axis extending from the Karaköy–Kabataş Pier to Dolmabahçe Palace, which gained significance with the Industrial Revolution and played a key role in the development of the Beşiktaş–Ortaköy area. This axis not only shaped the urban growth of Istanbul but also influenced the emergence of modern architectural production in the city. By positioning the museum along this axis, the project seeks to reinterpret the relationship between modern architecture and its urban context.
From the exterior, the building is conceived as a pure and neutral mass that recalls the “white cube” museum typology, one of the dominant paradigms of modern exhibition design. However, in the interior, the project adopts a critical stance toward the traditional white cube approach and redefines the museum as a space to be experienced rather than merely observed. Accordingly, the interior spaces are designed to encourage active interaction between visitors, space, and exhibited content.
The museum incorporates tactile exhibits, modern design objects, and experiential architectural elements that allow visitors to engage physically with the displays. In addition, VR observation rooms are integrated into the program, enabling visitors to experience modern architectural works and spatial narratives through immersive virtual environments. In this way, the museum offers a multi-sensory and interactive learning environment rather than a purely visual exhibition.
The design process is informed by Le Corbusier’s Five Points of Modern Architecture—pilotis, free plan, free façade, roof garden, and ribbon windows—which guide both the spatial organization and structural decisions of the building. These principles are reinterpreted through a contemporary architectural language.
