WAF ‘Culture – Completed Buildings’ 2024 Award Winner: EMANUELA BAGLIETTO

Pritzker Prize Laureate, architect Renzo Piano’s RPBW is renowned worldwide and needs no introduction whatsoever. Established in 1981 with offices in Genoa, Italy and Paris, France – the firm is led by 12 renowned Partners. Italian architect Emanuela Baglietto, one of the Partners, has led many prestigious projects worldwide with great success. Having graduated from Genoa School of Architecture, she joined RPBW in 1988. Within 9 years, Emanuela Baglietto was promoted as a Partner by Renzo Piano.

Istanbul Modern Museum

Emauela Baglietto’s illustrious career spanning 36 plus long years with RPBW is a testament and an inspiration for many youngsters at RPBW. Some of her notable award-winning projects worth mentioning are ‘Credito Industriale Sardo Headquarters’ in Cagliari, the ‘Re-development of the Genoa Old Harbour’; ‘Mercedes-Benz Design Center’ in Stuttgart; the ‘Nasher Sculpture Center’ in Dallas; the ‘Expansion of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’ in Boston; the ‘Astrup Fearnley Museum’ in Oslo; as well as the ‘Centro Botín’ in Santander.

Emanuela Baglietto was in recent responsible for the ‘One Sydney Harbour’ in Australia and the ‘New Istanbul Modern’ in Turkey. She is currently in charge of a ‘Carbon Neutral Experimental Greenhouse Development’ in Alassio and the ‘New Torre Piloti’ in Genoa. She comes across as a kind soul, whose love to promote architecture is unmatched. Her strong command in Italian, French, German and English is truly infectious.

Making a Statement!

Having won the ‘Culture – Completed Buildings’ Award for ‘Istanbul Modern’ at the World Architecture Festival 2024’, which was led by Emanuela Baglietto – Johnny D has a great time interacting with the humble architect. Her illustrious journey, spanning 36 plus years, is not only remarkable, but also a learning benchmark that everyone should learn from. Emanuela Baglietto speaks to Johnny D about her journey and elucidates the intricacies of the multiple award-winning project ‘Istanbul Modern’.

Plan – Ground Floor

Heartiest congratulations to RPBW’s Team and you for winning the ‘Culture – Completed Buildings’ Award for ‘Istanbul Modern’ at the World Architecture Festival 2024! What was your reaction, when your project was announced the ultimate winner?

It is a great satisfaction! The project has received many awards, which we appreciate as recognition of the huge effort that the team has invested in this project over a 6 long years’ period.

How tough was the competition in the category ‘Culture – Completed Buildings’ category at the WAF 2024?

The World Architecture Festival is always full of great projects and talent from all over the world.

Mesmerizing Evening View

What was your childhood ambition? Have you always wanted to be an architect?

I am the daughter of a renowned boat-building family. I wanted originally to study naval engineering, but I realized that it would have been too demanding compared to my mathematical instincts. Then, I sidestepped into architecture. After my studies in Genova, I started to collaborate with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. In the office, I discovered all the magic of architecture and eventually spent all through my career working at RPBW.

I have had the opportunity to develop projects and follow the construction of many museums all around the world. The ‘Istanbul Modern’ is the most recent museum I have completed. It followed the ‘Nasher Sculpture Center’ in Dallas, the ‘Isabella Stewart Gardner Expansion’ in Boston, the ‘Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art’ in Oslo and the ‘Centro Botin’ in Santander.

Istanbul Modern Renzo Piano Sketch

What really goes in your mind, when the client states the first brief?

I listen very carefully to what the client is explaining, as they express their needs. I try to answer their questions, but what I look forward the most is seeing the site in person, check the genius loci of the place, before really starting to think deeply about the design.

Istanbul Modern Library

What was the brief of the ‘Istanbul Modern’ project?

The brief was to provide a new home for the ‘Istanbul Modern’ adhering to today’s conditions for an art museum on the same site as the previous location: a magnificent site along the Bosphorus and facing the Royal Palace of Sultanahmet.

Night View of the Museum

What were the challenging aspects in designing and executing ‘Istanbul Modern’ project?

The site is incredibly beautiful! The project had to be well-integrated into the atmosphere of shimmering light of this port area along the Bosphorus. The old building acted as a barrier between the city and the water. So whatever we placed on the same site, had to be visually transparent on the ground floor to link the view from the city to the promenade and the waters, thereby creating a new landscape along the recently open promenade along the Bosphorus.

Elevation East

How did your team overcome them creatively?

We imagined the main volume of the building to be floating above a very transparent entry level and clad it with silver gray aluminum panel façade. The façade panels are shaped to react with the changing light and shadow as the sun passes by. On the roof of the building, a shallow water feature occupies the whole roof area offering to the visitors the view of the reflecting water, which seems to merge into the Bosphorus waters.

Istanbul Modern Floating Islands Exhibition

How would you describe the ‘Elegance and Significance’ of ‘Istanbul Modern’ project?

The ‘Istanbul Modern’ is a very simple architectural volume that has a strong presence in the new redevelopment of the waterfront along the Bosphorus: both visually, as well as practically. The Museum faces a green area to the north which connects with the chaotic urban fabric acting as an attractive filter and to the south the building looks onto the new quay along the Bosphorus. It represents a safe place for modern and contemporary art in Istanbul, and a place where people can be curious and explore culture.

Istanbul Modern Floating Islands Exhibition – II

What is the total area of the project, estimated cost and design-to-finish time period of the project?

The total area of the project is 14.000 sq. m with 10,500 sq. m of public space. The total project cost was $45 Million. The design-to-finish time period of the project was seven long years, 2016-2023.

Elevation South

The “Global Urban Failure” has seen all the major cities being flooded in the recent years. Elucidate your views as to how the future of urban planning of cities can be tackled to overcome this existential crisis?

There are studies on future sea rise, but the situation is certainly not perfectly predictable. It is certainly more and more necessary to build much higher than the sea levels. In my opinion, it is better to adapt to a changing condition rather than having faith in the construction of sea water barriers to stop the rising water level.

In terms of flooding from rainfall, designers must take into account the more frequent extreme weather events and provide solutions that make better the built environment instead of worsening it.

Scenic Landscape View

Against the ethos of architecture field, ‘Hostile Architecture’ is an eyesore and fast changing the urban landscape of prominent cities around the world. Elucidate your perspective as to why urban planners and landscape architects are promoting this unwanted architecture.

“Hostile architecture” can foster social divisions and can create discomfort for citizens, especially the elderly, disabled and children. This kind and dissuasive effect should not be achieved with these methodologies, but with social education taught in schools.

Museum Entrance

Which significant aspects of the global platform ‘zerobeyond – the new frontier!’ did you liked the most, and why?

I like the globality of ‘zerobeyond – the new frontier!’ and the promotion of the younger generations, the attention to climate changes, and the fact that it brings the world together fostering the collective knowledge sharing in a global interconnected context.

Cross Section

What are the projects you are currently working on in various cities / countries?

I am working on the ‘One Sydney Harbour’ project, three residential towers in Sydney, almost completed. I am also following the construction of the new control tower for the ship pilots of the port of Genova. I am developing the ‘Orto Rampante’ project, a small complex on the Ligurian coast made of three greenhouses hosting 4 hotel rooms, a restaurant km 0 and an education center surrounded by nature and raceable only on foot or via a cable car.

Waterfront View

What is the most significant thing you have learnt from Renzo Piano during your 36 plus years at RPBW?

I learned the capacity of listening to everybody and to capture as much as possible new ideas and different opinions, the desire of exploring new frontiers of technology in designing architecture, the attention to the natural light and to the lightness of structures.

Terrace View

How would you describe Emanuela Baglietto as a Leader and a person?

I love to collaborate with people, who are passionate about their jobs. I love to learn and share experiences together with my team, as we overcome difficulties and take satisfaction from our work together.