Guggenheim Helsinki Competition

The Helsinki Guggenheim Museum is an innovative design which respects and enhances the elegance of the old city. A bold yet beautiful addition to the local precinct which will offer a mix of public and private spaces.
The historic Helsinki Urban morphology and structure has been reinterpreted at different scales of our project. The expansive public boulevards that give shape to the museum connect the market with the park by a game of ramps, courtyards, rooftops and bridges; culminating in a spectacular open air terrace which will become an exhibition area with views of the harbor.
Two distinctive paths (public / museum) interweave without crossing each other inside and outside the museum, these two paths are designed to provoke a visual, spatial, kinesthetic and cognitive experience. The exterior of the museum allows the public to experience panoramic views of the city, whilst the interior of the museum encourages the visitor to immerse themselves into the art and to experience the building itself.
As a Space of Art statements are questioned and challenged. Boundaries are not as clear as usual. Like in an Escher drawing, spaces of the museum are at the same time above and below, inside and outside, rising and descending.  This variety of experiences evokes feeling and emotion and will cause the visitor to interact with their surroundings, challenging the mind and thought, whilst creating everlasting memories.