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 was 29 August, 2024. The entries selected for the Stage 2 will be published in December 2024. Results of the competition will be announced in September 2025.
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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).
Answers to the questions regarding the competition brief have been now published in two parts: Part one and Part Two.
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 have questions regarding the competition, please contact us on designcompetition@admuseo.fi.
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
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. The seminar recording can be watched here.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Helsinkiin on tulossa uusi arkkitehtuuri- ja designmuseo, joka yhdistäisi Arkkitehtuurimuseon ja Designmuseon sekä niiden laajat kokoelmat. Uusi arkkitehtuuri- ja designmuseo olisi kaikille avoin paikka, jonka sisällöt ja palvelut synnyttävät elämyksiä sekä oivalluksia. Se tarjoaisi ympäristön suomalaiselle muotoilulle ja arkkitehtuurille sekä kansainväliselle vuoropuhelulle.
Helsingin kaupunki ja Suomen valtio ovat ehdollisesti sitoutuneet pääomittamaan uutta museota yhtä suurin osuuksin. Ehdollisten pääomittajien joukkoon on liittynyt myös kolme yksityistä säätiötä. Kaikki osapuolet ovat asettaneet rahoitukselleen ehtoja, joita yhdistää korkea kunnianhimon taso. Tekeillä on aivan uudenlainen kansainvälisen huipputason museo, joka kantaa muistiorganisaation roolia viisaasti ja vastuullisesti.