JKMM Architects wins global competition to design Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki
JKMM Architects selected to design landmark waterfront building at the conclusion of an international, open and anonymous competition launched in April 2024. The international design competition received 624 proposals from around the world.
JKMM Architects’ design, known during the competition as Kumma, will create a landmark waterfront museum that will showcase Finland’s unique culture of architecture and design on a global stage.
JKMM Architects’ winning entry answers the competition brief by proposing a new 10,050 sq m museum building that will meet the urban opportunity of this prominent site and deliver on the Museum’s goal of being a flexible, inclusive, and welcoming space for Helsinki’s residents and visitors. The competition jury commended the design for its characteristic of sitting harmoniously within the surrounding urban fabric, while still standing out as an original and clearly identifiable public building.
The central mission of the new museum will be “democratising the tools of design”, drawing on the history and present of Finnish and Nordic architecture and design to guide a programme of public activities that will look at how design thinking and skills are relevant to the challenges we face as individuals and societies in a rapidly changing world.
Both the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland have committed to backing the new museum with significant donations. Four private foundations have joined forces, with the total capital raised almost reaching the target of 150 million euros.
“Finland has a global reputation for excellence in design and innovation. With the establishment of the new Museum of Architecture and Design, we have made a significant investment in a public institution that continue our proud tradition of public education in the skills of design, and record, represent and promote the unique design culture of Finland worldwide”, Mari-Leena Talvitie, Minister of Science and Culture at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture said.