Helsinki Harbor's Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design names five shortlist teams

Five finalists have been named in the competition to create the first home for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki’s South Harbor area. 

The designer’s names will remain anonymous through this stage while entries are listed by their initial number and title. A total of 624 were submitted from across the world. The 13-member jury will grant each a €50,000 ($52,000) development fee and expects to come back with the final winner's announcement by September 2025.

Beate Hølmebakk, jury panel member and partner at Manthey Kula in Oslo said: “The five finalist projects represent different visions for an inviting and inspirational museum situated on one of Helsinki’s most important sites. What these entries share is their potential to be buildings of extraordinary and lasting architectural quality. It is the jury’s opinion that they all have distinct urban presence and exceptional spatial properties that allow the new museum of architecture and design to organize the rich variety of exhibitions and events their ambition calls for. In the next phase these projects will be further developed to meet the demands for a sustainable future.”

The proposals that have advanced to stage 2 of the competition will be in development until it begins in February 2025. The shortlisted teams will have until May 2025 to make based on jury feedback.

351 Kumma

Jury comments: "The new museum building has been designed as a compact and low structure, preserving important views from Tähtitorninvuori Park towards the Market Square and Katajanokka. Despite its low height, the building has a strong character. It is beautifully proportioned, with slanted, stepped walls and triangular openings that reference timeless historical themes. Unlike the other proposals, the building can be accessed from both the Market Square and Laivasillankatu sides, allowing visitors to enter directly into the ground-floor exhibition space."

486 Moby

Jury comments: "The proposal takes an exceptional stance on views from the site and the museum’s role as a public building alongside the blocks planned for Makasiiniranta. The new building has a wedge-shaped footprint, leaving space on the side for views from the waterfront toward Tähtitorninvuori Park. The movement of museum visitors between spaces has been carefully designed, and the views opening in different directions from the building have been thoughtfully considered. Thanks to its compact form, logical structural system, and use of recycled materials, the building is resource-efficient."

545 Tau

Jury comments: "The building is sculptural in its extreme simplicity. It demonstrates that to stand out from the surrounding urban fabric a landmark status can be achieved without relying on unconventional shapes, or distinctive materials. The design emphasizes the role of the new museum as an extension of the Market Square, welcoming visitor flows along its entire northern façade, which connects seamlessly to the water mirror of the Vironallas basin."

616 City Sky and Sea

Jury comments: "Thanks to its curved wall and roof surfaces, the new building appears tent-like and lightweight in the waterfront landscape, where it fits naturally in front of the existing block frontage. The museum is designed with a distinctive and strong spatial structure: the exhibition spaces surrounding the central hall offer carefully selected views of the sea and the surrounding city."

96 Tyrsky

Jury comments: "The curved-roofed building, clad entirely in green copper, blends seamlessly into the waterfront landscape and respects the existing surroundings with its moderate height. The structure consists of several rectangular interlocking volumes, creating a small inner courtyard that allows daylight to reach the center of the building. The undulating curved roof signifies that this is a public building, distinct from the neighboring blocks. The proposal is an excellent example of the use of mass timber in load-bearing structures and interior finishes."