The owner of two galleries in Izmir wanted a gallery building in the low-density residential area of Kekliktepe for his own art and book collection, both to share it with the public and to spend time alone with it in a natural setting. The separate exhibition and library blocks are naturally lit through skylights and large glazed vertical openings. Between them is a sculpture courtyard with central glass-walled, solid-ceilinged display box. Connecting all three, a semi-open colonnade platform lightens the mass effect and links with the green outdoor exhibition spaces through stairways, ramps, and terraces. To minimise environmental impact and construction time, a demountable precast concrete system was chosen. The local stone cladding, too, was sized off site. Mechanical systems provide the temperature and humidity control necessary to conserve the various types of items: paintings, sculptures, carpets, tapestries, armour, and glass objects, from specific periods, Turkish or European.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
