In the past, the modern museum existed to showcase and protect the world’s

art. The contemporary museum, however, wishes to open up art, to explore

how it is located in and connected to the world. It aspires to be architectonic

art - as well exemplifi ed by the Guggenheim tradition.

Today, the museum doesn’t search to separate art from its urban space;

it aspires to mesh with it, to be a bridge between the city and art. It’s not a

question of “here” in front of a “there.” It becomes a conduit between here and

there. It is not a goal or fi nal objective - but rather a place to experience an act

of passage. It integrates itself into the city, instead of standing apart from it.

Defi ned by the art kept within it, but also about what is offers

outward: cultural, affective, personal and visual experience.

As a public space, the museum cares for and remembers

works of the past, at the same time promoting new

perspectives in the present, pointing the way to the future.

It is not just exhibition. It signifi es proposition. It proposes a

poetic habitat for man. The citizen’s participation is encrypted

within it, impregnated by beauty, wonder and thought. This

museum aims for the “emancipated spectator,” one who goes

beyond traditional simple passivity in front of reality to take an

active part in it.

Where once there was only a space, the museum will erect a place. Space is

abstract, empty or blank, homogenous. On the other hand, place is concrete,

abundantly full, heterogeneous. Place imbues the quantity of space with

quality. The contemporary museum is zealous in its commitment to transform

space into place. A place for experimentation for art and for the city, of poetry

and being, of beauty and the market. We don’t just go to it, we take our time

going through it. And we come out different from when we entered. We see

what’s inside. However, from the interior we also consider what is outside

from a new horizon.

W A R M A R T B O X G U G G E N H E I M H E L S I N K I M U S E U M

In the case of the project for the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki, as we go

up or down its ramps, or while we have coffee or lunch, we’re also enjoying

views of a wooded park and the sea, or looking out on the streets, the urban

landmarks, and the cathedral. In other words: from the outside, we see an

elegant and compact building that expresses itself in a particularly forceful

manner; from inside the museum we perceive and rediscover the city from

angles that previously had not been provided to us. From outside, we see what

is inside and from inside, we see what is outside.

In this architecture, the museum becomes a place and experience that we

travel through, a middle-passage, not solely a destination

to reach. In accordance with the social dynamics of the

contemporary world, the museum relativizes concepts

of here and there, inside and outside, near and far. It

conjoins past and future. Its actual materiality produces

an interplay of traditional, local, Nordic wood with futurist,

global, universal glass. The opacity of wood protects the

interior. The transparency of glass communicates with the

outside. It values the autonomy of modern art, providing it

with due shelter, while at the same time it concerns itself

with the poetry that resides within the place and in the

people who pass through it - people whose active, transitive

experiences of the place are essential to producing the very meaning of it.

The museum is never just a building that houses art. Its meaning is constituted,

in practice, as it absorbs the city and by the use that people make of it. A

museum’s design is an invitation: not just to beauty, but also to people. For

them to enter into constant dialogue with the museum, in order to add grace

and life to the urban context into which both are inserted. The museum can be

a place to protect and keep things. What it really preserves is the free fl ight of

human creativity.

1 By locating the

museum at the south

part of the site, an

entrance plaza is

created offering a wider

perspective of the

building.

2 A public passageway

running through the

Museum interlinks the

waterfront to the Park.

3 Enclosed by glass,

the passageway

protects the public

from the elements,

while transforming

it into a welcoming,

bright and climate

controlled space.

This museum becomes

a place and experience

that we travel through,

a middle public

passage, not solely

a destination to reach

THE CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM AND ITS SYNERGY WITH THE CITY

LANDMARKS1|4

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PROGRAM AND CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

TERRACE

GLASS BOX

12.884,40 m²

2|4

TOTAL

emergency exit

stairs

elevetors

loading art dock

loading service dock

art elevetors

cafe/bar

ticketing and information

shop

restaurant

museums

park / square

A

restricted public circulation

opened public circulation

staff circulation area

restricted area for transport of pieces of art

573,70 m²maintenance4%

533,00 m²offi ces4%

collections storage 616,20 m²5%

events 663,10 m²5%

4.731,65 m²37%

atrium

exhibition

520,80 m²4%

217,80 m²visitor services2%

dining 852,35 m²7%

264,30 m²retail2%

3.911,50 m²public30%+

+

+A

A

A

*unassigned areas were incorporated in other areas requested by the program

FUNCTIONAL DISTRIBUTION

The design for the museum was programmatically based on the following

premises:

To provide easy access to the spaces frequented by the public both inside

and outside the museum.

The museum store and the café are both located on the ground fl oor, with

the café able to open into the veranda of the eastern facade in the summer,

facing the sea. The restaurant and auditorium are located on the roof

extending along the public passageway, thus allowing these facilities to be

used independently, regardless of whether the museum itself is open.

To separate and regulate social and service accesses.

Access to the service area for loading and unloading is situated in back of

the building, facing the south. Public access is from the northern facade as

well as through Tähtitorninvuoren Park and Bernhardinkatu Street, using a

connecting pedestrian footbridge.

To provide a free and fl exible exhibition circuit that prioritizes

sensorial experience, not just for the museum visitor but also for

people using the public passageways.

To achieve this, alternative, the public pathways occasionally intersect and

visually interact with the itineraries of customers paying for specifi c museum

exhibits.

To afford amply fl ow between museum visitors and the external public,

within a single pathway that offers several alternatives for transit.

The external public circulating around the museum can enter either through

the principal access on the square-esplanade level, or through the footbridge

that leads to the park. These two levels, linked together by inclined planes,

create glass-enclosed ramps that also function as exhibition spaces. An

external elevator to the exhibition areas allows access to the two levels

independent of the ramps.

To create free, fl exible and diverse exhibition spaces, propitious to an

infi nite number and kind of museum uses.

For maximum use and versatility, conventional exhibition spaces are arranged

in the two fl oors of the museum, that can be organized in an infi nite number of

ways. The atrium also acts as a stimulating exhibition space, interconnecting

other spaces. The space that one sees directly after coming into the principal

entrance functions as a gathering space for the entire museum and can be

used to showcase, free, parts of temporary exhibitions, thus appealing to

visitors’ curiosity.

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SECTION 1 1:500

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

B1. Flexible PerformanceB2. Green RoomB3. Control RoomB4. Simultaneous TranslationB5. Movable Stage PlatformB6. Equipment StorageB7. Technician Offi ce B8. Dressing RoomB9. Multifunction ClassroomF2. Formal RestaurantF3. KitchenF4. Catering Preparation F5. ReceivingF6. Offi cesF7. Trash Room F8. StorageJ1. Public

A1. Exhibition GalleriesC1. AtriumD1. Visitor Screening D2. Coat Check D3. Ticketing D4. StorageE1. Museum and Design StoreE2. Stock room and Offi cesF1. Café / BarG1. AdministrativeG2. CuratorialG3. Education G4. Marketing G5. Conference RoomsG6. Shared Work RoomH1. Art StorageH2. Shipping / ReceivingH3. Crate StorageH4. Uncrating / StagingH5. Shared art PreparationH6. Exhibition DesignH7. Art Loading Dock I1. Security Offi ce I2. Custodial Offi ceI3. IT ServerI4. Furniture StorageI5. Grounds EquipmentI6. Staff Lunch Room I7. LockersI8. General Loading Dock J1. Public Space

A1C1

D1

D2

D3

D4

E1

E2

F1

G1G2

G3

G4

G5

G5

G6

H1

H2

H3 H4

H5

H6

I1

I2

I3

I4

I5

I6

I7

I7J1

H7

I8

1:500

A. Exhibition C. Atrium

D. Visitor Services

E. Retail G. Offi ces

F. Dining H. Collections J. Public

I. Maintenance

1:500

A1A1

A1 A1

A1. Exhibition Galleries

1:500

B1

B5

B6 B7B3 B4

B2F2F3 F4

F5

F6

F6

F7

F8F8

B8B9

B. Events

REVISITING TRADITION

Massive timber constructions

Finnish vernacular architecture is represented by the log structure building system. Log houses

are the hallmark of human occupation in the bucolic landscape of Finland. This centenary

technique was developed as result of Finnish environmental needs and resources. Taking

into account global sustainability requirements and Finnish expertise in timber building, this

proposal uses Cross-Laminated-Timber as main building material. It enables bigger spams

and a wider range of forms, combining strengths, thermal insulation and versatility, meeting

the needs of contemporary architecture.

Stone Wall: Suomenlinna inspiration

The most popular spot in the coast of Helsinki for picnics and summer activities is the

fortress in Suomenlinna Island. The grassy top of the fortress is a lovely place to enjoy

the long summer days of this short-lived season. In the proposed museum, the volume

in stone covered by grass evokes the memory of nice summer days for locals. The glass

box provides conditions to extent the nice habitat all year long. Stone was used in the

construction of the most important public buildings in Helsinki’s historical city Center.

This proposal embraces new technologies not to disrupt but to integrate to the historical

fabric. By understanding the elements that form local landscape, this proposal aims to

make a contemporary re-interpretation of Finnish tradition in architecture.

J1

GLASS BOX

CLT SLAB

WOOD FRAME

WOOD FRAME

CLT SLAB

STONE WALL

CLT WALLS

1 1

3 4

2 2

1 1

2 2

1 1

3 4

2 2

N

SECTION 2 1:500

SECTION 3 1:500

SECTION 4 1:500

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HIGH LEVELS OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

two-story exhibition roomexhibition roomatriumcafé

Exhibition and Event spaces were specially designed to be versatile. The proposed

exhibition rooms are large enough to be divided in different ways, enabling a wide

range of exhibition routes.

There are two rooms with inclined ceiling, one of which with a two-story ceiling to

exhibit large scale artwork. The atrium also has a special space quality. Crossed by

two pedestrian bridges, it is the best place to exhibit sculptures and other big pieces

of artwork that offer interest in different points of view.

EXHIBITION AND EVENT SPACES

The Event Room meets the requirements for multi performance spaces. By

using the pantographic bleachers system, the room can be transformed in an

Auditorium for concerts and lectures as well as it can become a completely empty

space to host dance and theater performances.

Ground Floor - Layout option

First Floor - Layout option

Empty Event Room

Ground Floor - Layout option

First Floor - Layout option

Auditorium layout

SUSTAINABILITY

The design concept focused on creating a highly energy effi cient building, designed

accordance with the local climatic conditions. The signifi cant design targets include

high levels of indoor environmental quality, environmentally low-impact materials, and

effi cient water management. These targets are directed at reducing environmental

impacts for the whole life cycle of the building. The building design will embrace the

social and health enhancing role of sustainability by demonstrating technology, nature

and design initiatives to the larger public.

The main strategies to reduce environmental impacts from the whole life cycle of the

building derived from material selection, construction and fi t out works. For this reason,

materials will be assessed based on the ‘Green Guide to Specifi cation’ methodology and

ratings aiming to minimise impacts related to materials and building components, such

as climate change, water extraction, mineral resources, human toxicity, toxicity to water

and land, fossil fuel depletion, waste disposal amongst others.

Materials

All timber and formwork for building construction will be 100% legally sourced being either

certifi ed sustainable products. . Once timber is the only renewable structural material

for large scale applications, the project aims to use timber and timber materials for the

building structure and also as fi nishing material. Cross-Laminated -Timber and Glulam

are zero waste production process materials. CLT have a high thermal performance, it

means a lower carbon footprint for the building across its lifecycle. However, the carbon

footprint will be calculate further during the building design development.

In addition to the benefi ts of indoor environmental quality derived from energy effi cient

measures, the use of low-emission materials are proposed to minimise impacts to

occupant’s health and to improve occupant productivity. This will be accomplished by

using low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds from carpets, adhesives and sealants)

and non-formaldehyde (from composite timber) materials. Low ODP (Ozone Depleting

Potential) insulant will also be used to reduce impacts on climate.

Industrial waste product as a replacement of a percentage of cement and recycled

aggregates as well as alternative materials to PVC for pipe work, electrical cables and

conduits will be investigated and incorporated.

Lighting

The lighting concept for the Museum´s public promenade follows the principles of its

architecture, seeking minimal visual interference in the urban space. The Museum is

light itself - a large luminaire that becomes part of the urban landscape by adding a new

brilliance/glow, refl ections, color and movement, becoming a new reference to the city.

The architectural lighting has two important aspects which can work independently or

together, in order to meet seasonal changes during day and night times. In the fi rst

aspect, the museum´s glass ceiling functions as a large horizontal diffuse light plane.

Made of liquid crystal glass, when organized in its translucent mode, the plane becomes

a big refl ector, illuminated homogeneously by a grazing light that is parallel to the

bottom surface of the glass ceiling. This solution is provided by the use of high effi cient

LEDs linear fi xtures with narrow beam optics. This system also has the intelligence to

control light intensity and color temperature and it can be programmed to integrate

and respond to the information coming from existing natural lighting events that takes

place in its surroundings.

The second aspect considers a direct lighting solution. Also in LED technology, it is

planned to illuminate the ramp´s surfaces that constitute the public promenade and

it is integrated into every glass beam. Thus, the lighting is meant to be perceived in the

internal space of the square, as a different effect if compared to the fi rst lighting aspect

- the light sources mimic the structure thanks to its advanced technology darklite, with

absolute control of its visible brightness. If the liquid crystal glass is in its clear mode,

one can have a view of the sky above the museum and its stars.

Thus, it is expected that the lighting of the Museum adds new spatial experiences to

inhabitants and visitors of Helsinki without mischaracterizing the environment where it

is placed.

Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality

There are several initiatives to reduce energy demand from the building. Many indoor

environmental quality benefi ts will derive from some of these strategies, such as

enhanced daylight quality and thermal comfort, while also promoting an increase in

occupant wellbeing. A High Performance Building Envelope is an integrated solution for

glazing performance and insulation, comprises of a double skin highly insulated facade.

It was specifi cally designed to: allowing effective daylight penetration and encouraging

external views, minimising heat gains in summer, maximising heat gains and minimising

heat loss in winter.

The performance requirements for the double skin overall are: G-value of approximately

0.25, thus controlling excessive heat loads in summer; U-value of approximately U=0.7 W/

m².K, thus comprising with stringent building codes regulations for energy effi ciency; and

VLT of approximately 40%, allowing useful daylight penetration with appropriate skylight

glare control. The building envelope comprises of a double skin highly insulated facade.

High performance glazing

Double skin facade with interstitial air cavity of approximately 800mm.

1 External Pane

• Single glazed laminated unit with g-value approximately 0.5

• Visual Light Transmission (VLT) of approximately 80% to deal with incident solar

radiation whilst allowing high levels of daylight penetration

• U-value of approximately 5.7 (centre of pane)

2 Internal Pane

• Double glazed argon fi lled high performance low-e unit with g-value approximately 0.5

• Low-e coating placed on surface 3 for heat loss control

Visual Light Transmission (VLT) of approximately 50% to deal with incident solar radiation

whilst allowing high levels of daylight penetration.

Water Recycling

Water recycling is fundamental to manage and balance all of the components of

hydrological cycle (rainwater, stormwater, wastewater, groundwater, surface water and

recycled water) to secure a range of social, economic and environmental benefi ts. For

this reason, this project aims to develop a water recycling system as well as leak detection

systems and effi cient fi xtures for toilets.

GH-1147892035