The project of YAP Istanbul Modern: New Architecture Program, realized with the collaboration of Istanbul Modern and MoMA, to be implemented in 2015, was chosen. The project entitled “ALL THAT IS SOLID” designed by PATTU (Cem Kozar, Işıl Ünal) will be installed in Istanbul Modern’s garden in early June and will be used for events to be organized by the museum oriented especially to the youth.
PATTU, sees its project “ALL THAT IS SOLID” to be opened to guests in June as part of YAP Istanbul Modern: New Architecture Program as an assay nurtured by the industrial past of the area which is a reminder of the past and also a statement on the future of the area which will change once again: “The buildings are somewhat anchors we tie our memories to perhaps because they stay alive longer than the lifespan of the human being. Well, how strong are they? Actually, the fact that they are made of stone, cement or marble does not keep them alive eternally. They can vanish easily in one day. This is why we borrowed part of the famed phrase “all that is solid evaporates”. Our approach was to fragment the area surrounding Istanbul Modern into pieces with all its components and to piece it together once again to reveal the temporary face of architecture. The design takes the geometries of old buildings built before and turns them into a chaotic form, colliding them with each other. However, during the day as transparent forms become matt, this chaos too starts to mean something. The geometries of the past become sometimes visible and sometimes invisible. ’ALL THAT IS SOLID’, nurtured by the industrial past of the area is a reminder of the past and also a statement on the future of the area; proposing that we look at the future with more criticism.
The Selective Committee, alongside of architecture experts, comprises the representatives of Istanbul Modern and other YAP: New Architecture Program. In the selective committee chaired by Architect Prof. Dr. Suha Özkan, Architect Emre Arolat, Istanbul Modern Curator Çelenk Bafra, MoMA Curator Barry Bergdoll; 21st Century Arts National Museum, MAXXI Architecture Senior Curator Pippo Ciorra, Istanbul Modern Director Levent Çalıkoğlu, YAP Istanbul Modern Coordinator Pelin Derviş, Istanbul Modern Chairman of the Board Oya Eczacıbaşı, MoMA Curator Pedro Gadanho, MMCA Curator Geuntae Park, CONSTRUCTO Jeannette Plaut and Marcelo Sarovic, architects Melkan Tabanlıoğlu and Han Tümertekin were members.
Select Committee Chairman Suha Özkan explained the reason why everything solid was picked: “The source of inspiration in PATTU’s proposal is physical, social and industrial history of the area known as Galataport. Visual documentation of the area revealed a large number of historical settlements which existed around it. Their proposal, which depicts building components gathering together main lines within striking abstract forms, has a power ‘specific to location’. Bringing together in a three-dimensional and multi-layered form of the main lines or characteristic elements of buildings, that have existed over there through history, relates the pavilion to a segment of the city’s history, going over two centuries. What makes the proposal attractive for people of every age and different social groups, is its setting forth the opportunity to understand, experience and discover this interesting piece of history”.
Besides winning projects, the proposals developed by all finalists in the YAP: New Architecture Program will be presented to viewers in a group exhibition at Istanbul Modern, MoMA PS1 (New York), MAXXI (Rome), CONSTRUCTO (Santiago) and MMCA (Seul).
YAP Istanbul Modern: New Architecture Program gives the opportunity of designing a temporary building outdoors, employing an innovative architectural design to young and rising architects in summer months, every two years. The evaluation was done over portfolios submitted by 5 finalists picked amongst 30 young candidates nominated on November 11, 2014 by nominators, comprising academicians in schools of architecture in all over Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, architecture critiques, members of periodicals and representatives of professional associations like Chamber of Professional Architects and Association of Freelance Architects. The selected finalists were asked to develop a temporary installation proposal for the garden of Istanbul Modern and the second project of YAP Istanbul Modern: New Architecture Program was picked out of these proposals on January 22. The first project of YAP Istanbul Modern was “Sky Spotting Stop” developed by SO? Mimarlık ve Fikriyat.
