Earlier this year, Finnish architecture firm JKMM won the international, open and anonymous design competition to create Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design. Announced in September, their proposal was chosen from 624 entries.
The competition requested a museum building of roughly 108,000 square feet to be sited in Helsinki’s historic South Harbor. The brief sought a landmark waterfront museum that would host world-class cultural activities while contributing a clear identity to the city’s shoreline.
© JKMM / Mir
JKMM’s design respects the cultural landscape of the South Harbor by preserving key sightlines from Tähtitorninvuori toward Market Square and Katajanokka while introducing a distinct new landmark. The proposal features a recycled brick façade, generous terraces and sculptural forms that create warmth and a strong connection to the city and waterfront.
“I hope that the planning and realization of the new Museum of Architecture and Design can show the way for how new things can be built responsibly and with skill,” said Samuli Miettinen, founding partner and principal designer at JKMM. “Architecture and design are deeply human; they are born from dreams and longing, and they gain their meaning in the places where we can experience and live together.”
© JKMM / Mir
The museum site is a former dockside plot in Helsinki’s South Harbor, a historic waterfront area close to landmarks such as Market Square, Alvar Aalto’s notable “Sugar Cube,” the Orthodox and Lutheran Cathedrals, and the Esplanade Park. The site and its surroundings lie within a buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.
The new building will display selections from the museum’s collection, which contains more than 900,000 items including objects, correspondence, models and photographs. The collection documents the work of notable designers and architects such as Aino and Alvar Aalto, Eero Aarnio, Maija Isola, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, and Paavo Tynell, as well as Finnish design brands including Marimekko, Nokia and Fiskars.
© JKMM / Mir
The next phase will be to translate the winning design into an implementable plan in collaboration with future museum staff and sustainability experts. The project aims to open the new Museum of Architecture and Design in 2030, creating a vibrant place where architecture, design and people meet.
Finland’s deep commitment to architecture and design suggests the new museum and its waterfront setting will become a popular destination for both local residents and international visitors to Helsinki.