Odunpazarı Modern Museum

Odunpazarı Modern Museum (or OMM), a museum located among the historic Odunpazarı houses of Eskişehir.

History

The museum, realized by architect and collector Erol Tabanca from Eskişehir, had its foundation stone laid in February 2018 by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and its opening was also carried out on 7 September 2019 by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kengo Kuma and his team came two years earlier, spent time in Eskişehir, studied the city's fabric and created architecture suitable for it. Learning that Odunpazarı was the center of the wood trade, Kuma worked by blending Odunpazarı civil architecture, Ottoman dome architecture, and traditional Japanese architecture. The pine trees used in OMM were selected from those that have completed their lifespan in sustainable and industrial pine forests in Russia.

Founding data

The museum wall bears a plaque with the names of supporting companies and individuals.

Event spaces

The three‑storey building, which includes exhibition areas, workshops, various event venues, a café and a museum shop, covers approximately 4,500 m². It was designed as a modern interpretation of Japanese and Ottoman architecture by the world‑famous Japanese architectural firm Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA).

The museum, which also features a placement specially designed by the renowned Japanese bamboo master Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, hosts temporary exhibitions presenting works from different artistic disciplines. It also offers educational programs aimed at strengthening the connection of various age groups with the museum and art.

Very close to the museum there is a café and restaurant built in the same concept, and a 14‑room boutique hotel named OMM Inn, whose exterior highlights the traditional architecture of Odunpazarı.