The new Istanbul Modern: a place of encounter and peace

World-renowned architect, Renzo Piano, is in Istanbul for the inauguration of his new Museum of Modern Art. In this interview with Vatican Radio, he reflects on the responsibility of architects to create spaces of encounter for people and he recalls his recent meeting with Pope Francis, whom he describes as an artisan of peace.

By Francesca Merlo

“We’ve seen civilisations merge on the streets of Istanbul, but Istanbul Modern brings another sign of unity to the ancient city where East meets West.”

Inaugurated on 20 June, the Museum of Modern Art is the first of its kind in Byzantium... Constantinople... Istanbul. It has become a new bridge: a structure whose beauty and culture – inside and out – compliments the message Pope Francis brought to the nation in 2014 when he came to Istanbul, not as a pilgrim of peace.

“We are alike in that sense, the Pope and I”, says Renzo Piano, “we share the same values, the same idea of peace: he does so as Pope, of course, and I as a simple builder – a builder (of buildings and) of peace”.

The Istanbul Modern Art Museum

The industrial-looking building spread across five floors on the waterside glimmers. Its silver concrete walls and shining aluminium pipes protect the diversity of the modern art within. It’s built to protect, not only from the harsh ideologies that separate, but also from the brutality of the ground that shakes, that just months ago devastated part of the country, and neighbouring Syria. Safe from these physical and ideological threats, “Istanbul Modern” is a refuge. This is true even for the city’s birds. Myriads of seagulls find refuge on the museum’s roof and bathe in the pool water that covers it. Some fly in from the left, where boats and ships cross the waters of the Bosporus. Others arrive from the right, carried by the soundwaves of the various calls to prayer.

Though the building offers safety, the abhorrent use of arms and violence continue to dominate large parts of the world. Renzo Piano reiterates the vision he has for his buildings: one of peace and for peace.

Having had the occasion to meet with Pope Francis recently, Piano, who shares the Pope’s age as well as his values, stresses that, “Actually, this museum didn’t cost much to build at all. It cost the same amount as it does to fund a plane that drops bombs for a few hours”. So, if funding a museum of peace and encounter costs the same as funding a single plane of death and destruction, how many more Istanbul Moderns will it take to stop the wars?