Studio KO Transforms 1912 Tashkent Tram Depot into Uzbekistan's First Contemporary Art Institution
In Uzbekistan's capital, the Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent) has launched, situated in a renovated tram depot from 1912, transformed by the Parisian firm Studio KO. Co-founders Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier maintained the original brickwork while integrating contemporary features. This establishment is the first permanent contemporary art venue in Uzbekistan. Marty emphasized the importance of filtering out later modifications and reviving traditional craftsmanship. The project aligns with Studio KO's earlier endeavors, such as the Yves Saint Laurent Museum (2017) and the Musée de la Mode et du Costume (2025). The opening event drew 5,650 attendees, leading Uzbek officials to contemplate the preservation of additional historic structures. Current exhibitions feature Nari Ward's Tashkent Groundin' (2026) and Ali Cherri's A mouth, a wound (2025).
Key facts
- CCA Tashkent is housed in a 1912 tram depot and diesel station in Uzbekistan's capital.
- Studio KO co-founder Olivier Marty led the transformation with partner Karl Fournier.
- The main exhibition hall retains original brick walls and is described as "basilica-like."
- The project is Uzbekistan's first permanent institution dedicated to contemporary art.
- Studio KO previously designed the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech (2017) and the Musée de la Mode et du Costume in Arles (2025).
- Marty contributed to the 2023 Uzbekistan Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, "Unbuild Together: Archaism vs. Modernity."
- Exhibitions at CCA Tashkent include Nari Ward's Tashkent Groundin' (2026), Tarik Kiswanson's Nest (2026), and Ali Cherri's A mouth, a wound (2025).
- The opening attracted 5,650 visitors on the first day.
Entities
Artists
- Olivier Marty
- Karl Fournier
- Nari Ward
- Tarik Kiswanson
- Ali Cherri
- Elaine W. Ng
- Wilhelm Heinzelmann
- Gayane Umerova
- Sara Raza
- Tadao Ando
- Nadia Kaabi-Linke
- Kimsooja
- Vladimir Pan
- Shokhrukh Rakhimov
- Bakhtiyar Saipov
- Daribay Saipov
- Muhannad Shono
- Charli XCX
- Madonna
- Lina Ghotmeh
- Dan Glasser
- Jean Cocteau
Institutions
- Studio KO
- Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent
- Yves Saint Laurent Museum
- Musée de la Mode et du Costume
- ArtAsiaPacific
- Venice Architecture Biennale
- Uzbekistan Pavilion
- Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA)
- Atelier Rakhimov
- Fondation ACDF
- Residency Namuna
- Center for Contemporary Arts Tashkent
- Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation
- ACDF
- National Museum of Uzbekistan
- UNESCO
- World Heritage Committee
- Bukhara Biennial
- Rakhimov family ceramics studio
- Bus Palladium
- Tate Modern
- Jadids' Legacy Museum
- Dezeen
- Uzbekistan Art and Cultural Development Foundation
- Guggenheim
- Galerie Magazine
Locations
- Tashkent
- Uzbekistan
- Paris
- France
- Marrakech
- Morocco
- Arles
- Karakalpakstan
- Venice
- Italy
- Corsica
- Samarkand
- Asie centrale
- Busan
- South Korea
- Bukhara
- Central Asia
- London
- New York
- United States