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Contact & FAQ

Illustration by Anja Reponen

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.

Project team

We are working towards a comprehensive plan outlining all aspects of the new museum – institutional, financial, programming, partnerships, a design brief for the building, you name it. A decision to build the new museum will be made based on that plan. If you have an idea you think we should hear, or a partner you think we should work with, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. If you’re not sure who to reach out to, you can always email: hello@admuseo.fi

Project Director, CEO, Foundation for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design

Kaarina Gould

kaarina.gould@admuseo.fi

Project Manager

Reetta Turtiainen

reetta.turtiainen@admuseo.fi

Communications Planner

Pyry Waltari

pyry.waltari@admuseo.fi

Project Manager

Erika Parvikoski

erika.parvikoski@admuseo.fi

Project Manager

Markku Inkeroinen

markku.inkeroinen@gov.fi

Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design

Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design was established in Helsinki on 28 April 2022. The Foundation was initiated by State of Finland and City of Helsinki. The aim of the Foundation is to promote and support architecture and design museum field in Finland, as well as promote, support and raise attention towards architecture and design.

The mission of the Foundation is to establish a new Museum of Architecture and Design of a high international standard. The new museum building will be located in Helsinki South Harbour. The Foundation is responsible for the fundraising for the museum and manages the museum’s capital. Once the work on setting up the new museum has been completed, the present Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum and their collections will merge into the Foundation that was now set up.

Foundation for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design is a supporting member of the Finnish Museums Association.

Chair of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design is Timo Laitinen, Director General of the State Treasury, and the Vice Chair of the Board is Anne Korkiakoski, Board Professional.

Members of the Board of the Foundation are:

Mikko Aho, Architect (SAFA)

Stefan Björkman, Managing Director of Föreningen Konstsamfundet

Anne Korkiakoski, Board Professional

Timo Laitinen, Director General of the State Treasury

Juha Lemström, Architect (SAFA)

Leena Mörttinen, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance

Miklu Silvanto, Chief Design Officer of Bang & Olufsen

Pauli Sivonen, Director of the Serlachius Museums

Anna Valtonen, Professor of Strategic Design of the Aalto University
‍

Statutes of the Foundation (in Finnish) can be found here

To contact the Board of the Foundation, kindly send a message to hello@admuseo.fi.

Design Museum & Museum of Finnish Architecture

The two museums will eventually merge into the new museum and the whole will become much more than the sum of its parts. Please refer to their websites for information about their exhibitions and programme of events, opening hours and contact details.

www.designmuseum.fi | www.mfa.fi

Steering Group for the New Museum of Architecture and Design

In March 2021 the City of Helsinki and the Ministry of Education and Culture appointed a steering group to oversee the project and support the project team.

The steering group is chaired by Timo Laitinen, Director General of the State Treasury.

Members of the steering group are:

Laura Aalto, Acting Executive Director of the Culture and Leisure Division, City of Helsinki

Jannica Fagerholm, Managing Director, Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation

Carina Jaatinen, Director, The Museum of Finnish Architecture

Riitta Kaivosoja, Director General, Ministry of Education and Culture,
Department for Art and Cultural Policy

Annika Klimenko, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Finance of Finland

Mirkku Kullberg, CEO & Founder, Glasshouse Helsinki

Timo Laitinen, Director General, the State Treasury

Rikhard Manninen, Head of Urban Planning, City of Helsinki,
Urban Environment Division

Kerstin Rinne, Member of the Board of Directors, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation

Päivi Salonen, Councellor for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland

Jukka Savolainen, Director, Design Museum

Tuula Saxholm, Finance Director, City of Helsinki

Ulla Teräs, Chair, Board of Directors, Foundation for the Museum of Finnish Architecture

Ari Tolppanen, Chair, Aristo-Invest

Anna Valtonen, Chair, Board of Directors, Foundation for the Design Museum
‍

To contact the steering group, kindly send a message to hello@admuseo.fi.

Real Estate Company ADM

Real Estate Company ADM was founded in August 2022. The real estate company will be in charge of the design and development of the construction project for the New Museum of Architecture & Design, including organising a design competition for the museum building. The company ownership is divided in half between the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland, the main financiers of the project.

The real estate company cooperates closely with the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.

Chair of the Board of Directors of the Real Estate Company ADM is Juha Lemström, Architect (SAFA), and the Vice Chair of the Board is Mikko Aho, Architect (SAFA).

Members of the Board of the Real Estate Company ADM are:
‍
Mikko Aho, Architect, SAFA

Antti Halm, Head of Department, City of Helsinki, Urban Environment Division

Markku Inkeroinen, Project Manager, Ministry of Education and Culture
‍
‍Miika Kotaniemi, Director of Real Estate Investment, Rakli

‍Juha Lemström, Architect, SAFA

‍Stuba Nikula, CEO, Helsinki Events Foundation

To contact the Real Estate Company ADM, kindly send a message to hello@admuseo.fi.

Advisory Group

In November 2022, an advisory group was appointed for the New Museum of Architecture & Design.

The advisory group consists of the following members: Paola Antonelli, Liza Chong, Caterina Fake, Eva Franch i Gilabert, Indy Johar, Nimco Kulmiye Hussein, Ervin Latimer, Linda Liukas, Kieran Long, Joar Nango, Héctor Noval, Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Johannes Suikkanen, and Teemu Suviala.

The aim of the group is to critically evaluate the project development, challenge the planning of the museum’s concept and profile, and push forward the future proofing of the new museum.

Learn more about the advisors here

FAQ

About the new museum

What is the new museum of architecture and design?

Based on a thorough feasibility study (2018) and a concept study (2019), commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the City of Helsinki, an initiative to build a new museum of architecture and design in Helsinki has moved on to a concrete project phase. In spring 2021, the City of Helsinki and Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture appointed a high-level steering group to support and monitor the work, and formed a project organisation that will draw up a comprehensive plan for founding a new museum.

Based on the plan, the aim is to make a final decision during 2023 to found the new museum. If implemented, the new museum would be a significant platform for Finnish fields of design and architecture, a new destination for Finland and Helsinki, a hub for expertise and learning, and an active focal point for international dialogue.

There is already a design museum and a museum of architecture in Finland, why is the new museum needed?

The new museum of architecture and design would merge two existing museums: the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, and their collections, into one.

Both architecture and design have always been essential parts of the Finnish society and culture. They are also disciplines that are intertwined together. Currently, the two separate museums are both located in old and small buildings that were never meant for museum purposes. For several decades, the museums have had an urgent need to upgrade their facilities and be able to provide exhibitions and public programmes that would meet the level of ambition that Finnish architecture and design has to offer.

If implemented, the museum would be a unique meeting place and attraction for local and global visitors, providing new experiences in the centre of Helsinki.

What would the new museum offer?

A natural destination for design and architecture lovers, the new museum would also be a place for learning, sharing, and coming together for all curious minds. With new and innovative technologies, the whole world can participate in the museum’s activities and programmes.

A new museum building near the historic harbour in central Helsinki would be an attraction in itself, and the museum would offer state-of-the-art exhibitions and forward-looking public programmes, helping visitors explore the world and our societies through architecture and design. The detailed programme of exhibitions and events of the museum will be planned and announced later.

Needless to say, the new museum building, its operations and programming will embody the core values of environmental, cultural and social sustainability.

For whom would the new museum be?

The new museum would be for everyone who wants to explore the world through architecture and design.

Whether the visitor is a design lover from the other side of the world, a local student visiting a museum for the first time, an expert conducting research, or anything in between, the museum offers a place for learning, sharing, thinking and doing.

Museum building and location

Where would the museum be located?

The new museum would operate in a new building located in Makasiiniranta, in Helsinki's South Harbour area. The City of Helsinki organised an international quality and concept competition for the design and implementation of the Makasiiniranta area in 2021–22. The design of the new museum building was not included in this competition. A separate design competition for the museum building will be opened once the final decision to found a new museum has been made.

The location of the museum is based on comprehensive studies conducted in 2018–19. In the studies, several different sites and also existing buildings were evaluated as possible options for the museum.

As a result, the South Harbour area was decided as a location for the museum because of its proximity to visitor and tourist flows and status as a central part of Helsinki’s maritime and cultural landscape.

When would the architectural competition for the museum building open?

According to the projected timeline, the decision-makers of the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland would make a final commitment to found the museum in 2023. Should the decision be positive, an architectural competition would be opened later that year.

When would the museum open?

If a final commitment to finance and build a new museum will be made in 2023, an architectural competition would be opened later that year. Based on the competition, a more detailed timeline would be made on the development, zoning and construction of the new museum building. The timing of the opening of the new museum will be determined at a later stage.

What happens to the existing museum buildings?

The buildings of the Design Museum and the Museum of Finnish Architecture are owned by Senate Properties, an unincorporated state enterprise. Senate Properties will decide about the buildings’ usage later.

Organisation and financing of the new museum

How would the new museum be financed?

The new museum’s financial model is based on three pillars:

1. An operational endowment of a minimum of 150 million euros. The annual proceeds of the endowment would support the museum. Currently, the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland have both conditionally committed to donate 60 million euros each into the endowment. In addition to the City and the State, four private foundations have also made conditional donations: the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation (20 million euros), the Finnish Cultural Foundation (2 million euros), the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (2 million euros), and Saastamoinen Foundation (1 million euros). According to the planned financing model, the endowment should be 150 million euros at a minimum.

2. Annual subsidies from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The new museum of architecture and design would have the status of a national museum in the fields it represents. A status that comes with responsibilities, stated in the Finnish Museum Law, and an increased annual subsidy to help fulfil those responsibilities.

3. Self-generated income through box office, sponsorship, retail, restaurants and other sources of revenue the new museum will seek in its business model.

How would the new museum be operated?

Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design was established by State of Finland and City of Helsinki on 28 April 2022 to establish a new Museum of Architecture and Design. The two existing museums, the Design Museum and the Museum of Finnish Architecture, with their substantial collections, will later merge into the new foundation. The primary focus of the new museum foundation is to manage the capital and the collections.

The daily museum operations and services would be coordinated by a limited liability company, which would be fully owned by the museum foundation. A more detailed organisational model of the new museum of architecture and design will be formed as part of the ongoing project planning.

Project phase and decision-making

Who decides if the new museum will be built?

Key decision-makers in the process of founding a new museum of architecture and design are the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland. The City and the State, represented by the Ministry of Education and Culture, would be the two major donors to the endowment fund of the new museum foundation. Each have conditionally committed to donating a maximum of 60 million euros. The final commitment will be made based on the plan the project team is currently working on in collaboration with the Museum of Architecture and the Design Museum.

Four private foundations – the Jane & Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, and the Saastamoinen Foundation – have also made conditional donations. The two cultural foundations would contribute 2 million euros each, the Saastamoinen Foundation 1 million euros, and the Jane & Aatos Erkko Foundation a donation of 20 million euros, which would be an exceptionally large donation in the Finnish context – the largest ever made to a cultural cause.

All potential donors have presented conditions that the project plan has to meet before they make a final commitment to donate funds to the museum. Many of those conditions have to do with financial risks. The overlapping condition, however, is to meet a high enough ambition level – to create an institution that is truly at a top international level and brings something new to the field of architecture, design, museums and urban culture.

How is the project team organised, and what will happen next?

In March 2021, the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland appointed a steering group to oversee and support the project phase during 2021-2023. A project organisation started its work in May 2021 when the Project Director, Kaarina Gould, was appointed to lead the project. In September 2021, Reetta Turtiainen joined as a Project Manager in the project organisation. Kaarina and Reetta work closely with the teams of the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, as well as the City of Helsinki and the Ministry of Education and Culture, and multiple other stakeholders. The Ministry of Education and Culture has also appointed Markku Inkeroinen, who started in August 2021, as a project manager for the museum project. Communications Manager Pyry Waltari joined the project organisation in March 2022.

The steering group for the museum project is chaired by Timo Laitinen, the Director General of Finland’s State Treasury, with 14 experts, including representatives from the government, the City of Helsinki and current museums, and other experts within the fields of architecture and design, as members.

The members of the steering group are:

Laura Aalto, Acting Executive Director of the Culture and Leisure Division, City of Helsinki

Jannica Fagerholm, Managing Director, Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation

Saija Hollmén, Chair, Board of Directors, Foundation for the Museum of Finnish Architecture

Carina Jaatinen, Director, The Museum of Finnish Architecture

Riitta Kaivosoja, Director General, Ministry of Education and Culture, Department for Art and Cultural Policy

Annika Klimenko, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Finance of Finland, Fiscal Policy Unit

Mirkku Kullberg, CEO & Founder, Glasshouse Helsinki

Timo Laitinen, Director General, the State Treasury

Rikhard Manninen, Head of Urban Planning, City of Helsinki, Urban Environment Division

Hannele Pohjola, Chair, Board of Directors, Foundation for the Design Museum

Kerstin Rinne, Member of the Board of Directors, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation

Päivi Salonen, Councellor for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland

Jukka Savolainen, Director, Design Museum

Tuula Saxholm, Finance Director, City of Helsinki

Ari Tolppanen, Chair, Aristo-Invest

Currently, the project team, together with various stakeholders, is working hard to produce a visionary concept, an operating and funding model, a design brief and all the necessary data needed to make a final decision to build the new museum.

What is the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design?

The Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design was established in Helsinki on 28 April 2022. The Charter of the Foundation was signed by Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen, Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture Anita Lehikoinen and City Manager of Helsinki Sami Sarvilinna.

The mission of the Foundation is to establish a new Museum of Architecture and Design of a high international standard. The new museum building will be located in Helsinki South Harbour. The Foundation is responsible for the fundraising for the museum and manages the museum’s capital. Once the work on setting up the new museum has been completed, the present Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum and their collections will merge into the Foundation that was now set up.

Timo Laitinen, Director General of the State Treasury, was appointed as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design. He has also chaired the steering group of the museum project since spring 2021.

The members of the Board of Directors of the Foundation are Architect (SAFA) Mikko Aho, Managing Director of Föreningen Konstsamfundet Stefan Björkman, Board Professional Anne Korkiakoski, Architect (SAFA) Juha Lemström, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Leena Mörttinen, Chief Design Officer of Bang & Olufsen Miklu Silvanto, Director of the Serlachius Museums Pauli Sivonen and Professor of Strategic Design of the Aalto University Anna Valtonen.

The Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design cooperates closely with the Real Estate Company ADM, founded in August 2022, which is in charge of the design and development of the construction project for the New Museum of Architecture & Design, including organising a design competition for the museum building. The company ownership is divided in half between the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland, the main financiers of the project.

The steering group, appointed in March 2021, will continue operating as a governing cooperative body alongside the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.

Who are involved in creating the new museum?

The planning of the new museum of architecture and design is a collaboration between different stakeholders. The work is based on a feasibility study and a concept study, conducted in 2018-2019 by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the City of Helsinki. In the studies, over 250 people (including professionals from the fields of architecture, design and creative fields; museum experts; citizens; and public sector representatives) were engaged through interviews, workshops and meetings. Currently, the project planning is coordinated by the project organisation. The project organisation works in tight collaboration with the founders of the new museum of architecture and design, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the City of Helsinki, the Design Museum and the Museum of Finnish Architecture. In addition, multiple other parties are constantly involved in the work.

Can I contribute to the planning of the museum?

In 2019, various groups, for instance local youngsters and pensioners, tourists in Helsinki, and a network of museum, design and architecture professionals, were interviewed about their wishes and expectations regarding the new museum. The ongoing project phase is based on that work.

Dialogue with various groups will go on as the project proceeds to the decision-making phase and further. We also welcome your thoughts and feedback at hello@admuseo.fi.

In addition, the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum are constantly in dialogue with their audiences, patrons and other interest groups. To learn more about the museums’ activities, visit www.designmuseum.fi and www.mfa.fi

Is there something more that you would like to know?
Contact the project team at hello@admuseo.fi, we’d be happy to hear from you!

We would also love for you to subscribe to our newsletter in order to keep you posted on what’s going on with the new museum of architecture and design.

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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.

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