Istanbul Modern, the gem of Galataport, reopens to public with new building

Istanbul Modern, the city's first modern and contemporary art museum, had been without a permanent home for the past few years.

Founded in 2004, it was temporarily accepting visitors in a beautiful location in Beyoglu: the Union Francaise building designed by Alexandre Vallaury.

With the completion of its new building, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Istanbul Modern once again returns to the seaside on the Istanbul Strait, with pigeons and seagulls happily making use of the reflection pool on the terrace level.

May 4, 2023 marks the reopening of Istanbul Modern to visitors at Galataport, in the Karakoy district on the European shores of Istanbul.

The new museum building has five floors, including the ground floor and the mezzanine. The mezzanine holds the auditorium where film screenings will begin in June. And the ground floor has a cafe, museum shop and library.

The first floor features a pop-up gallery, photography gallery and museum restaurant. And the second floor boasts selections from the permanent collection, across from a temporary exhibition gallery.

The viewing terrace has a reflection pool that overlooks the Bosporus and Karakoy environs and will offer visitors a quick respite from walking around in the impressive galleries.

All in all, the new Istanbul Modern spreads over 10,500 square metres as it showcases artworks from 1945 to the present day.

Current exhibitions

As the museum reopens, it offers five exhibitions to the public, with publications and educational resources to accompany them.

Istanbul Modern’s sizable collection is represented by 280 works by 110 artists and two artist duos in the “Floating Islands” exhibition, spread across the expanded permanent and temporary exhibition galleries.

“Always Here” displays 17 works by 11 female artists that have been introduced to the museum’s collection via the Women Artists Fund established in 2016.

In the photography gallery, globally celebrated Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s images captured during his travels around the world decorate the walls in “In Another Place”.

The entrance floor library, which is free of charge, displays “Genius Loci”. It offers “a survey of Renzo Piano’s compelling architectural language and examines in detail the design process and structural components" of the new building.

Last but not least, architectural photographer Cemal Emden’s documentation of the construction phases of the museum is showcased in the “Constructing Architecture” exhibition.

Hours and prices

For residents of Türkiye, the price of admission is 120 Turkish Lira (around $6) with free admission for members. For international visitors, regular admission is 200 TL (around $10).

The museum is closed on Mondays. For the rest of the week, Istanbul Modern is open from 10 AM to 6 PM local time (0700 to 1500 GMT), with the exception of Thursdays, when the museum stays open until 8 PM.

Photos by Selin Alemdar except where otherwise noted.