New Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki

A new Museum for Architecture and Design is to be built in Helsinki’s South Harbour. The open planning competition is looking for an exceptional design that showcases past and future Nordic design and architecture, while repositioning Finland as a global pioneer in design and architecture.

The design by schneider+schumacher envisages flexible public space acting as a cultural and social hub within the new Museum of Architecture and Design. The design aims to blur the boundaries between internal and external spaces with easily discernible exhibition areas which integrate the outside world. Upper floors are designed as a system of interconnected circles which dictate the overall spatial arrangement centred on an atrium. The building’s façades are printed with patterns consisting of smaller circles, offering varying degrees of transparency. Roofs are designed as funnels that extend beyond the footprint of the building. These form a protective canopy – a modern take on the archetypal shelter – offering not only protection from the elements but also potential for diverse planting arrangements.