Stacked Timber Museum - Kengo Kuma

The Stacked Timber Museum, located in Odunpazari, Turkey and designed by Kengo Kuma, is dedicated to modern art, while paying homage to the traditional town architecture through its design. 

The 4,500 square meter project uses a distinct stacked timber design, which not only helps to create a warm human-centric space, but is also highly sustainable. Influenced by the town's name "Odunpazari", which translates to "Firewood Market", and the significant timber industry in the town, Kengo Kuma has utilised this natural material as a key element in the design. 

The locally sourced laminated timber beams are used as both a structural element, and a decorative one, with the stacked timber arranged to create twisting voids that can bring natural light down into the exhibition spaces within the museum. Complemented by the wooden floor, and a sculptural wooden staircase at the entry of the building, Kengo Kuma has integrated timber as a sustainable expression of the museum and town identity.