Istanbul is a city constantly evolving and forever feeling the pull of east and west, of tradition and modernity, and defined by its contrasts. Poised at the edge of the Bosphorus on the European side of the city, the Istanbul Modern museum situates itself at the center of it all.

Currently the gallery is hosting part of the Istanbul Biennial, which this year is divided between six locations across the city, stretching as far as the Princess Islands and Northern Bosphorus. Named “Saltwater,” the Biennial asks the viewer to take a much more leisurely approach to viewing and consider the context of its in situ context.

Like much of Istanbul, the Istanbul Modern and surrounding site is currently undergoing a transformation into a tourist hub. “ALL THAT IS SOLID” by Istanbul-based PATTU, the winning installation for this year’s Young Architects Program at the Istanbul Modern (a direct collaboration with the MoMA PS1 program of the same name), is inspired by this constant, cyclical change of the nearby port and surrounding area.

Contemplating the historic nature of the site, the PATTU team wanted “ALL THAT IS SOLID” to address themes of sustainability and re-use as well as providing a communal, intimate social space with shade and seating.

“Our approach was to dissect the space around Istanbul Modern, with all its elements and previous constructions, and reassemble them, showing the ephemeral side of architecture. The design borrows geometrics from past buildings and crunches them together in a chaotic way. The project is not only a reminder of the past, but also a statement about the imminent change the future holds, so that we can be more critical about it.” – PATTU