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Design Competition

An invitation to design the new museum of architecture and design in Helsinki, Finland.

We are seeking a design for a globally unique museum building that redefines Helsinki as a destination for architecture, design, arts, and culture.

The design for the new museum, located in Helsinki’s South Harbour, will be selected through an open, international and anonymous competition, held in two stages.

The competition has begun on 15 April, 2024. Closing date for Stage 1 submission is 29 August, 2024. Results of the competition will be announced in September 2025.

Submit questions regarding the competition brief by May 12 at 2pm (GMT +3)

Submit questions

Quick links

Competition Brief Key Dates News Jury

Competition Brief

Browse the competition brief or download the brief and its appendices below.

The competition brief outlines the qualities we are hoping to create in the new museum: an open, welcoming, calm, reflective space which will be embraced by the widest possible profile of visitors.

The lead designer must have a master’s degree in architecture and be a resident and have a license to practice architecture in an EU country, or in a country which is a party to the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA 2012).

Competition participants and prospective participants have the opportunity to submit questions regarding the competition brief here.

The competition is organized by the Real Estate Company ADM, owned by the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland, and the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, in collaboration with the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA. Strategic partners for the museum project are DVDL Cultural Planners (New York) and Haahtela Group.

In case you are phasing challenges on downloading the competition materials, please contact us on designcompetition@admuseo.fi.

See competition brief on Issuu

Competition material

Competition Brief (PDF)

Download the complete competition material here, 838 MB

Appendices

1. Model template for submitting the required documents (PDF), 17.6MB

2. Base map of the competition area and the
study area (PDF/DWG), 4.1 MB

3. An extract from the 3D city model (DWG), 47.3 MB

4. Eteläranta facade (PDF/DWG), 6.4 MB

5. AD Museum - Landscape Strategies for the Public Realm (White Architects) (PDF), 338 KB

6a. Photographs of the competition area (JPG, high res), 584.5 MB

6b. Photographs of the competition area (JPG, low res), 32.4 MB

7. Background photographs for the obliqatory aerial view and sea view (JPG), 11 MB

8. Draft for the traffic plan, including maintenance andservice traffic guidelines (PDF), 4 MB

9. Draft for the detailed plan (PDF, 13.4 MB)

10. Saaret – the winning entry of the Makasiiniranta concept and quality competition (PDF), 28.2 MB

11. Executive summary: Museum of Future Building – Implementation Plan for the New Museum of Architecture and Design (PDF), 1.6 MB

12. Museum visitor journey (PDF), 994 KB

13. Accessibility and diversity checklist for museums (PDF), 4.2 MB

14. Suomenlinna and Makasiiniranta Heritage Impact Assessment Phase 1 (partly in Finnish) (PDF), 67.4 MB

15. Planning principles for Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta by Urban Environment Committee in 2021 (PDF), 835 KB

Key Dates

Competition begins

15 April, 2024

The competition brief is published. Preregistration is not required. The lead designer must have a master’s degree in architecture and be a resident and have a license to practice architecture in an EU country, or in a country which is a party to the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA 2012).

Competition seminar (online)

24 April, 2024

3–5 pm - GMT+3

Competition seminar is held online at 3–5pm GMT +3 (Helsinki) / 1–3pm GMT +1 (London) / 8–10am GMT -4 (New York). The seminar is open for all. Join the streaming here.

Final date to submit questions regarding the competition

12 May, 2024

2 pm – GMT +3

Prospective competition participants can submit questions regarding the competition brief. Submit questions here. Answers to the questions are aimed to be published on the competition website by the end of May.

Closing date for Stage 1 submission

29 August, 2024

5 pm – GMT +3

Competition entries must be digitally submitted before deadline through the submission portal. The submission portal will close at the given time on the last day of submission.

Announcing the finalists

December, 2024

The jury will select 3–5 entries for the Stage 2 of the competition.

Competition Stage 2

Feb – May, 2025

The selected participants will further develop their entries based on the jury’s feedback.

Competition results announced

September 2025

The results of the competition are expected to be published in September 2025.

Jury

An international Jury of leading architects, cultural experts and policymakers has been assembled to judge entries to the competition.

The competition Jury consists of the following members:

Chair of the Jury

Mikko Aho

Architect SAFA

Vice Chair of Real Estate Company ADM

Vice Chair of the Jury

Juha Lemström

Architect SAFA

Chair of Real Estate Company ADM

Gus Casely-Hayford

Director

V&A East

Beatrice Galilee

Architect, Executive Director

The World Around

Kaarina Gould

CEO

Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design

Salla Hoppu

Architect SAFA, Leading Architect

City of Helsinki

Beate Hølmebakk

Architect, Professor, Partner

Manthey Kula Architects

Riitta Kaivosoja

Director General

Ministry of Education and Culture, Department for Art and Cultural Policy

Matti Kuittinen

Architect, Associate Professor

Aalto University

Sari Nieminen

Architect SAFA

Architect Office Sari Nieminen

Miklu Silvanto

Designer, Entrepreneur

Member of the Board of AD Museum Ltd.

Anni Sinnemäki

Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment

City of Helsinki

Hannu Tikka

Architect SAFA, Professor

APRT Architects

Learn more about the jury

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About ADM

Illustration by Anja Reponen

What?

A new museum is coming to town.

A new museum of architecture and design is coming to Helsinki. A natural destination for architecture and design lovers, the museum will also be a place for learning, sharing, and coming together for all curious minds. A new museum building near the historic harbour in central Helsinki will house state-of-the-art exhibitions and forward-looking programmes. With new technologies, the whole world can participate in the conversation.

Both the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland have conditionally committed to backing the new museum with significant donations. Three private foundations have joined forces, with the total capital raised almost reaching the target of 150 million euros. All parties have set conditions for their funding, with the common one being that the museum must be in a class of its own – globally. An institution that redefines the concept of a museum yet being respectful to the responsibilities of a national museum in its field.

Suunnittelukilpailu

Uudelle arkkitehtuuri- ja designmuseolle toteutetaan Helsingin Makasiinirantaan arkkitehtonisesti ja kaupunkikuvallisesti korkealuokkainen museorakennus, joka luo puitteet kansainvälisen huipputason museotoiminnalle.

Uudesta museorakennuksesta järjestetään yleinen ja kansainvälinen, kaksivaiheinen suunnittelukilpailu.

Suunnittelukilpailu alkaa 15. huhtikuuta 2024. Kilpailun 1. vaihe päättyy 29. elokuuta 2024. Kilpailun tulokset julkistetaan syyskuussa 2025.

Kilpailuun osallistuvilla on mahdollisuus kysyä kilpailuohjelmasta 12.5. kl 14 mennessä.

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Let's be in touch

Below you’ll find contact details of the project team planning the new museum of architecture and design.We would love to keep you posted through our Newsletter.

Check also the FAQ for more information.

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