Modular geometric volumes and chromatic gathering nodes fill a historic courtyard in Istanbul. For eleven days in autumn 2026, they guided families through the Rami Library grounds. Turkish practice Milimetrik Architects designed AileFest 2026, a temporary intervention that covered 91,000 square meters of the historic site.
The festival ran from September 26 to October 6, 2026. According to the project description, roughly 825,000 visitors attended. The program combined family recreation, education, and cultural events across the outdoor courtyards and the library’s interior halls.
Open-ended play across the courtyard
Milimetrik avoided fixed play equipment. Instead, the studio filled the courtyard with modular geometric volumes, low abstract shelters, and brightly colored gathering points. Visitors decide how to move through them and what to do once they arrive.
Temporary structures can also reshape a public space with bold color and a light footprint. Riyadh’s BAG Café Turns Parking Lot Into Tents shows how scaffolding and tents create a similar pop-up sense of invitation.
The pieces are built at several heights so that small children and older visitors can both use them. Many of the modular volumes are finished in bold, chromatic colors. Their scale keeps them readable from a distance and comfortable to sit on up close.
Abstract shelters give visitors places to pause and use the courtyard spontaneously. Abstract shelters give visitors places to pause within the courtyard.
Indoor reinterpretation of the book fair
Inside the library, the Book Fair departs from the standard grid of exhibition booths. Pitched, house-shaped pavilions in primary colors stand among modular display units. Graphic patterns on the floor guide visitors between stands.
The layout creates continuous movement between the open courtyards and the historic galleries. Visitors pass from sunlight to shaded halls without a formal threshold. The temporary structures are built from timber and steel and sit on the site without altering the building’s heritage fabric.
Balancing play and heritage at Rami Library
The temporary installation in the courtyard shapes how visitors move through the site. The modular volumes sit within the historic site without altering its heritage fabric. The effect is playful, yet the entrance remains clearly legible as a civic building.
Reusing a historic civic site for new public life raises similar questions about balance. Decommissioned Power Stations Reborn as Public Spaces surveys how former industrial landmarks took on fresh civic roles.
The project shows that a heritage site can host a large public program without permanent alteration. Temporary construction carried the weight of the festival, and the historic buildings stayed intact. For cultural institutions weighing similar events, the Rami Library offers a clear model of scale, color, and restraint working together.
Source: designboom.com
Frequently asked questions
When did the AileFest 2026 festival take place at Rami Library?
AileFest 2026 ran from September 26 to October 6, 2026, at Istanbul’s Rami Library grounds. The festival lasted eleven days in autumn 2026.
How many visitors attended the AileFest 2026 festival in Istanbul?
According to the project description, roughly 825,000 visitors attended AileFest 2026. The festival combined family recreation, education, and cultural events.
Who designed the AileFest 2026 temporary intervention at Rami Library?
Turkish practice Milimetrik Architects designed AileFest 2026. The temporary intervention covered 91,000 square meters of the historic site.
Did the temporary structures at Rami Library alter the historic buildings?
No, the temporary structures were built from timber and steel and sat on the site without altering the building’s heritage fabric. The historic buildings stayed intact throughout the festival.
More in
Architecture
All Architecture
More like this
This Stationary Tiny Home Has More Room Than Most City Apartments
Omhu's 40,000-Sofa Success: Affordable, Modular, and Ready to Disrupt the Furniture Market
Stefano Boeri Designs Modular Timber Housing with Lush Gardens in Ibiza's Ca n’Escandell District
Discover Ingenuity: Changho Lee's Adjustable KNOB Tray and Other Minimalist Desk Accessories
Taehyeong Kim's DUO Mouse Combines Ergonomic Versatility with a Sleek, Adaptive Design
