An international competition for a new museum of architecture and design in Helsinki, Finland has attracted 623 entries from architect-led teams across the world.
Planned to open in 2030, the new museum will merge the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum Helsinki. The competition brief called for a 10,050-square-metre building in the city’s South Harbour.
The institution will house more than 900,000 artefacts, including objects, letters, models and photographs. It will also include spaces for events and conferences, as well as a library and a waterfront restaurant.
Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, said: “We seek an architecturally unique building that meets high sustainability goals while being a welcoming and inspiring space – an active hub of engagement and creativity for many, and a place of calm and reflection for others.
“The jury has been deeply impressed by the thoughtful and innovative interpretations from architects and creative teams on how the new museum can best serve our communities.”
The competition entries, which can be viewed in an online gallery, will be assessed by a jury of architects, cultural experts and policymakers. Between three to five finalists will be invited to the second stage of the competition in December.
The second stage will involve developing the concepts into proposals. It opens in February 2025 and runs until the end of May, with the final result of the competition to be announced next September.
Museum of architecture and design
Each team chosen for the second stage will receive a payment of €50,000, and there will be prizes of €50,000, €35,000 and €25,000 for first, second and third place.
Helsinki’s mayor Juhana Vartiainen said: “This is a project that will strengthen the appeal and ambition of the city of Helsinki as a design and architecture destination, and we are overwhelmed by the quality of the responses to the competition.”
In addition, the new museum has launched an international search for a director, who is expected to start in the position in autumn 2025.
Images courtesy of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design
