Guggenheim Helsinki
French firm Moreau Kusunoki Architects have won the Guggenheim Helsinki competition with a concept that combines art, architecture and nature.
In June 2014, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation launched its first open, anonymous, international design competition for a proposed Guggenheim museum in the Finnish capital of Helsinki. Regarded as one of the most important architect competitions of recent years, the process was completed through two stages.
Stage One saw an open call for participation by qualified architects based on a brief by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The brief dictated the use of outstanding, engaging and original design, the potential to become a landmark and a symbol for Helsinki, sensitivity to the historic waterfront setting in which the proposed museum will be located, sustainable design, strong connections to the historic city center and the museum’s natural and urban surroundings, and finally a design inspired by Nordic ideals including openness and accessibility.
From Stage One, a shortlist of six architectural firms from across the world were selected for Stage Two, which included an exhibition of the shortlisted firms and a final decision. The final winning concept came from Moreau Kusunoki Architects. Titled Art in the City, their concept came in the shape of a museum created from numerous sweeping structures and a glass-topped tower, clad in shining black wood and connected by open areas that merge into the city space. The Jury found the design deeply respectful of the site and setting, creating a fragmented, non-hierarchical, horizontal campus of linked pavilions where art and society could meet and inter-mingle.
According to the architects, Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki, the main challenge as they approached the brief was creating a transparent, open museum that allows porosity between the museum itself and its surroundings to enhance flow of visitors to the site. The proposed location of the museum lies in Helsinki’s South Harbor area, near the city center.
The architects designed a museum forming a collection of indoor and outdoor spaces. This approach, as opposed to a more singular, unified structure, was based on the architects’ attitudes, which found a homogenous unity too hermetic and favored continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces. This design saw a range of pavilions connected with in-between spaces, rather than actual walkways, giving a feel of flow among the structures.
“Museum galleries need a particularly controlled atmosphere in term of hygrometry and light. That is why most of the galleries’ walls have to be opaque. Also, the fragmented approach allows the combination of controlled and opaque rooms (the art galleries) and the in‐between spaces that provide promenades and views of the surroundings landscape. Our concept is intended to invite the public to enter into dialogue with the art, the architecture, and the site.”
Another focus in the design was reflecting Finnish traditions and culture in the proposed concept, combining traditional elements, such as the use of charred wood for the façade, with contemporary architecture. The charred wood is strongly linked to traditional Finish timber construction.
“Wood may not be as strong as concrete, but it’s in the cycle of nature, and harvesting and re‐planting trees makes the forests stronger. We really like this approach of co‐existence, rebirth, and the smart use of simple materials.”
Alongside the inclusion of natural elements in the design, Moreau Kusunoki Architects also focused on sustainability in their concept. The horizontal layout of the museum simplifies maintenance and maximizes heat and light gained from the sun through the galleries’ skylights. A triple glazing and efficient insulation system, further minimizes the consumption of heating energy.
The building is expected to cost €130 million to construct, and will have a floor area of around 12,100 square meters, with 4,000 square meters of exhibition space.
www.guggenheim.org
www.moreaukusunoki.com
—
