New Museum of Architecture and Design
2024
The proposal consists of three layered elements: ground, floors, and roof. The ground is a landscape of carved granite and marker stones extending from the quayside, supporting the floors above. The gallery, the primary program, is enclosed in a timber exoskeleton. The roof extends the neighboring Tähtitorninvuori park, with terraces offering panoramic views of the city and sea, designed for events.
The museum’s design enhances public engagement by elevating the main exhibition floor above the quayside, ensuring a sense of openness at ground level. The structure opens to the north, with a spacious public lobby facing the square. This design choice preserves a wide harbour front and reinforces the broader masterplan’s vision of a cityscape set back from the water, creating a unique and significant public space.
The building’s circulation is organized around a central core, split into three sections: public, staff, and goods. This division, along with a large atrium void, allows for public views into typically hidden museum operations. This intentional visual connectivity fosters a sense of ownership among visitors, while still maintaining the independent functioning of each system.
The program is vertically arranged according to privacy needs. The ground floor, entirely public and dedicated to logistics, features a café, shop, entrance lobby, and workshops, all forming a facade of shopfronts open to pedestrian spaces. The first floor houses large flexible galleries with granite monoliths creating additional spaces for more intimate displays. The upper floor is reserved for staff offices and private event spaces, with access to outdoor terraces.
Visitors will be exposed to the dynamics of museum operations through the integration of public and ‘back of house’ areas. The building’s architectural form is distinctive yet straightforward, celebrating craftsmanship with transparency in occupation.
