The Helsinki city council is set to launch an international design competition next month for a new museum of architecture and design.
The council has also announced it will provide €60 million to establish the new museum. The Finnish state will match this funding, and an additional €30m will be raised through private donations.
“This new museum is set to both enhance Helsinki’s global profile and provide a new, meaningful incentive to visit Helsinki,” said the city’s mayor Juhana Vartiainen.
“The museum will provide a cultural heart for the rapidly developing South Harbour area and a new, inviting urban space in Helsinki’s prime maritime location.
New museum of architecture and design
“It also represents a sustainable investment that will create jobs, generate commerce, and attract tourists to Helsinki.”
Vartiainen added, “The museum represents an investment in the future, it is exciting to see the plans now coming to fruition.”
Located in a pedestrian-friendly district in Helsinki’s South Harbour, the museum is due to open in 2030. It will be operated by a new entity established through a merger of the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum Helsinki.
Two-stage competition launches 11 April
As for the two-stage design competition, this launches on 11 April. The results will be announced in August 2025. More details can be found here.
In a press release, the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design said: “The competition aims to deliver a design that is architecturally unique, providing the framework for world-class museum operations and creating new, vibrant urban spaces in Helsinki’s rejuvenating South Harbour area.”
In 2021, Helsinki held an international competition for a partner to develop a waterfront culture and leisure district at Makasiiniranta on the South Harbour. This will be home to the new museum of architecture and design.
