GH-1946025121Cityscape

Public Realm 1:2000

Perspective from East

This competition for a new Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki presents a fantastic opportunity for the city. From its origins as a Swedish port town, intended by Gustav I of Sweden to rival the Hanseatic city of Reval (now Tallinn), to the Russian-designed neoclassical grid city (in the manner of St. Petersburg), the continuing development of Helsinki’s South Harbour has the potential to catalyse the next phase of the city’s cultural and urban evolution. The development of our design for the new Helsinki Guggenheim has been driven by the following concepts:

Palaces and Courtyards

Helsinki’s grid layout has led to a specific urban typology: ‘Palace’ buildings with internal courtyards. The site should build on this local character, utilising courtyards of different scales and characters to introduce light, nature and external spaces throughout the building.

Not one thing, but many

We have interpreted the courtyard typology and disrupted its form to a series of independent, specific buildings that are appropriate to their various functions. A singular, iconic monument that speaks of globalisation as a new imperialism would fail to engage with the unique cultural landscape of Finland, and is perhaps not what Helsinki requires.

A Harbour Skyline

The ‘palace’ building typology of Helsinki, which has been a result of the city’s grid layout, has led to a consistent skyline, broken only occasionally by the odd spire or the dome of Helsinki’s Cathedral. The gallery should contribute a new scale to the city, creating its own skyline on the South Harbour horizon.

Enhancing the Landscape

The site should re-unite the important Observatory Park with the waterfront, a connection that was lost with the development of the harbour. Located at the junction of city grid and picturesque landscape, the site should act as a transition between the two, creating the opportunity for new connections

between existing local landmarks. Nordic Courtyard

A Nordic courtyard is revealed where the grid of the city overlaps with the picturesque landscape. This overlap of grids mediates the two characteristics of the city and creates new connections between existing local landmarks. Manifesting itself as a courtyard of distinctly nordic qualities.

Palaces and Courtyards

Not one thing, but many - a harbour skyline

City Grid meets Picturesque Landscape, a Nordic Courtyard

Site Plan 1:2000

Eteläsatama - South Harbour

Tähtitorninmäki - Observatory Hill

Laivasillankatu

Eteläranta

Unionsgaten

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Ground Floor Plan 1:500Perspective from Tähtitorninmäki

Set Perspective Angle 6 from North

Set Perspective Angle 6 from North

Set Perspective Angle 4 from South East

In terms of the organisation and adjacencies of various spaces within our proposal, the following principals have been adopted:

The museum is entered, via a courtyard, from the north in order to best connect to the centre of Helsinki and to ensure that it is protected from the harsh wind conditions experienced from the east, across the water, and the west, from Observatory Park.

The auditorium, restaurant, cafe and retail facilities are located close to the main entrance to allow independent use outside of typical museum opening hours. The cafe can also be accessed from the east, offering views across the city and giving life to the waterfront.

A public route is provided to both the waterfront (and cafe) and to the museum’s public square via Observatory Park. This route runs over the top of the Nordic gallery, offering views down into a courtyard below and a raised vantage point across the water

Nordic artwork is showcased at the ‘heart’ of the museum. As well as being a central focus, it is also designed as courtyard space for temporary events/ installations and a gathering/ orientation space for exploring the rest of the museum.

The main temporary galleries and permanent collections are accessed from the central Nordic space. A multi-purpose zone, including a viewing tower, works as a linking space between the various exhibition galleries.

Access for deliveries and loading is from the south and has a direct connection to the main gallery spaces, particularly the temporary galleries. Additional service access is possible along the western edge of the building.

The management suite is located in close proximity to the loading bay, while the admin and management offices are located on first floor and are accessed through an independent entrance. The raised viewpoint offers views over the entire museum and over the water.

Concept

Eteläsatama - South Harbour

First Floor Plan 1:500

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Laivasillankatu

Nordic Gallery & CourtyardTemporary Exhibition GalleryPermanent Collection GalleryWhite Cube GalleryAuditoriumGreen RoomProjection BoothTranslation BoothMovable StageEvent StorageDressing RoomsClassroomMulti-Purpose ZoneVisitor ScreeningCoat CheckTicketingRetailCafeRestaurantKitchenArt Loading DockShipping/ReceivingUncrating/StagingCrate StorageConservation StudioCollections OfficesArt StorageGeneral Loading DockMaintenance/Operations StorageOfficesConference RoomsStaff LoungeViewing Tower AccessInternational Residency Studios

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Long Section AA 1:5 00

Perspective of Nordic Space

Perspective of Entrance

Perspective of Permanent Collection Gallery

Perspective of Park Landscape

Perspective of White Cube Gallery

Concept

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connecting high level duct

reflected diffuse light

diffused light

fat wall air supply

fat wall air supply

extract at top of wall

black out and diffusing blinds

black out and diffusing blinds

extract ductextract duct

supply to floor grilles - separate ducts to allow zoning

extract ductextract duct

Gallery Environmental Strategy Axonometric Diagram

Perspective of Temporary Exhibition Gallery

Feasibility / Sustainability

Seasonal Experience – Never the same building twice

The gallery should respond to the different seasonal conditions of Helsinki. Like the Nordic landscape, the site should continue to change in accordance with the different conditions. It should be necessary to use the building differently in summer and winter. The external spaces will be a key component of this differing experience. A Festival of Light Everyday

The building should both exploit the city’s sea-sonal daylight conditions as well as contribute to the character of Helsinki through its own lighting strategy. ‘Lux Helsinki’ should be able to happen everyday!

Gallery Environmental Strategy

The exhibition spaces employ a sensitive and controlled environmental strategy to best facilitate the display of art contained within. Where possible reflected North light is used to light galleries, this is supplemented by diffusing and blackout blinds to allow total control of gallery lighting levels.

Ventilation of the gallery spaces is carefully managed. The large temporary gallery has air supplied by floor grilles in separated ducts to allow zoning when the gallery is partitioned. The gallery housing the permanent collection is ventilated by fat walls with air supplied at low level and extracted at high level.

Landscape

Gallery

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Circulation

Entrance TowerInternational Residency Studios

Nordic CourtyardViewing TowerNordic Gallery

Temporary GalleryPermanent Collection

White Cube GalleryEntrance

Multi Purpose Space

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