Studio KO revives historic tram depot as Tashkent's contemporary art hub
French architects blend industrial heritage with modernist interventions in Uzbekistan's cultural landmark.
1Industrial heritage meets contemporary art
Studio KO transformed a 1912 tram depot and diesel station into the Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent, preserving the original yellow-brick structures. The design highlights the building's cathedral-like proportions through a 20-meter-high main hall with original brick walls and high-level windows. A striking metal tunnel guides visitors from the repurposed administration building into the expansive exhibition space, creating a dramatic transition from historic to contemporary spaces.
2Material contrasts define the experience
The architects intentionally juxtaposed old and new elements, leaving technical services exposed to emphasize the industrial character. Steel panels line the auditorium and tunnel, contrasting with original brickwork, while wooden details and dark terrazzo pay homage to Soviet modernism. A chunky local gravel coating covers the new geometric extension that bursts from the old structure, creating a deliberate visual tension between historical and contemporary architectural languages.
3Spatial sequencing creates drama
Visitors experience carefully choreographed transitions from dark underground galleries to the bright main hall, enhancing the space's monumentality. A helical staircase descends to basement galleries before the tunnel leads to the diesel station's cavernous space. Suspended cubic auditoriums and bleacher-style seating that doubles as staircases create multifunctional spaces within the industrial shell, maintaining flexibility for various cultural programming.
4Cultural programming ambitions
Commissioned by Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation chair Gayane Umerova, CCA Tashkent aims to position the city as a Central Asian cultural hub. The complex includes exhibition halls, a skylit library, recording listening room, restaurant, children's workshop, and prayer room. The inaugural exhibition 'Hikmah' features works by 10 artists, with all furniture custom-designed by Studio KO using modular metal-wood combinations.
5Contextual design solutions
The outdoor courtyard references traditional Uzbek mahala neighborhoods while establishing its own identity through dark gravel finishes. This 1,200 sqm flexible space serves as additional exhibition area without competing with the historic buildings. Studio KO avoided mimicking the original bricks, instead creating honest contemporary additions that complement the heritage structures through material contrast rather than replication.
6Technical innovations
The architects installed purple-filtered windows visible only from outside, creating a subtle chromatic effect. The self-supporting geometric extension required precise engineering to connect with the historic fabric without structural compromise. Original diesel station features like oily wall residues were preserved as tactile reminders of the building's industrial past, blending authenticity with modern gallery requirements.
7Uzbekistan's cultural renaissance
CCA Tashkent joins other major projects like Lina Ghotmeh's Jadids' Legacy Museum and Tadao Ando's National Museum of Uzbekistan. This reflects the country's post-Soviet cultural investment, coinciding with UNESCO's 2023 designation of 10 Tashkent modernist buildings as World Heritage Sites. The project demonstrates how adaptive reuse can serve national identity-building through architecture.
8Architectural significance
Studio KO's intervention sets a benchmark for post-industrial cultural spaces in Central Asia, balancing preservation with innovation. By maintaining the diesel station's basilica-like proportions while inserting contemporary elements, the design creates dialogue between eras. The project proves historic industrial buildings can successfully house cutting-edge cultural institutions when approached with sensitive yet bold architectural vision.