Construction work taking place in front of the museum. Main entrance at Korkeavuorenkatu and the accessible entrance via the inner courtyard remain open and in normal use.

Detailed local plans for Makasiiniranta area in Helsinki become legally binding

Implementation of the new Museum of Architecture and Design and the Saaret project moves forward. The detailed local plans for the new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki, Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta, as approved by the Helsinki City Council in June, have become legally binding. No appeals were submitted within the statutory appeal period.

The legally binding plans enable one of the most significant urban development projects in central Helsinki. The South Harbour area will be transformed into an open and vibrant waterfront city district. The new Museum of Architecture and Design will be framed by an inviting event plaza, an open waterfront promenade, and four new commercial buildings developed as part of the Saaret project. The protected Olympia Terminal and Harbour Building will be adapted for new uses, while Olympiaranta will retain a quay area for visiting cruise ships.

The confirmation of the plans marks a historic new phase in the development of Helsinki’s South Harbour area and moves the planned projects closer to implementation. The City of Helsinki is responsible for developing the area’s public urban spaces and infrastructure. The construction of the new Museum of Architecture and Design will be carried out by Real Estate Company ADM in cooperation with the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, while Niam is responsible for the Saaret project development.

“It’s wonderful that the detailed local plans for Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta have now become legally binding. The South Harbour will be developed into an open and vibrant city district that will help advance Helsinki’s maritime centre. In the future, the high-quality architecture, culture, services, and public urban spaces of Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta will form a cohesive whole that enhances Helsinki’s appeal from the perspective of both residents and international visitor’s” states the Mayor of Helsinki Daniel Sazonov.

“This is yet another historic milestone in the realisation of the new Museum of Architecture and Design. We warmly thank everyone involved in the project for their excellent cooperation, uncompromising planning and open, and at times critical, dialogue throughout the competition and decision-making process. The confirmation of the plan gives us the opportunity to create a new international meeting place in Helsinki that will showcase Finnish architecture and design to the world,” says Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, which is leading the museum project.

An international design competition was organised for the museum’s new building and was won by the Helsinki-based architectural practice JKMM Architects. The anonymous competition attracted 624 entries from around the world. The bold, user-centred and environmentally-conscious building respects the cultural landscape of the South Harbour while creating a new landmark for the area.

Design work on the building is in progress, and construction is expected to begin in early 2028. The museum is scheduled to open to the public in late 2030.

At the same time, the Saaret project is also progressing. The project is based on a proposal by Niam, Helsinki-based K2S Architects, Swedish architectural firm White Arkitekter and Ramboll, which won a separate quality and concept competition organised by the City of Helsinki. The project will bring new restaurants, accommodation and office spaces to the maritime urban environment along the open waterfront promenade.

”The design of the Saaret project’s office buildings respects the history of the area and its surroundings while taking advantage of the opportunities offered by modern construction technology. Our objective is to build an inspiring and sustainable urban environment while also developing unique work- and customer environments for the building’s users that meet today’s needs. Now that the plan has become legally binding, we can move forward with implementation planning in collaboration with the city and the museum project,” says Antti Muilu, Niam’s Country Manager responsible for developing the Saaret project.

The next phase of the projects includes finalising building designs, advancing permit processes and preparing for construction. Schedules will be updated as the projects progress.

Before construction begins, the City of Helsinki will carry out preparatory works in the South Harbour area, including ground remediation, site preparation and reinforcement of quayside structures.

Until the completion of the new museum building, the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki will continue to offer exhibitions, events and experiences at its current premises on Korkeavuorenkatu.

Also, in August 2026, the museum will open a new event venue at Eteläranta 6. Throughout the construction phase, the venue will serve as a meeting place for the city’s residents, visitors and partners, while presenting the development of the area and the museum project.

For more information, please contact:
Kaarina Gould, CEO, the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design
kaarina.gould@admuseo.fi

Mauri Sahi, CEO, Real Estate Company ADM
mauri.sahi@admuseo.fi

City Council Approves Local Detailed Plan Amendment Enabling the new Museum for Architecture and Design

The Architecture & Design Museum is moving towards a new future. A new museum building will rise in Helsinki’s South Harbour, becoming part of the city’s historic maritime landscape.

On 10 June, the Helsinki City Council approved two local detailed plan amendments that will enable the further development of the South Harbour area.

The local detailed plan amendment for the new Museum for Architecture and Design makes it possible to construct a new museum building, a public event square and a waterfront promenade along Eteläranta.

The local detailed plan amendment for the Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta areas will integrate the waterfront more closely into Helsinki’s commercial city centre. The protected Olympic Terminal and Harbour Office building will be designated for new uses. Makasiiniranta will be opened for public use, while Olympiaranta will continue to accommodate visiting cruise ships.

The City’s objective is to transform the currently closed port area into an open waterfront destination for everyone and to strengthen the role of South Harbour as an integral part of Helsinki’s city centre.

Read the City of Helsinki’s news release on City Council decisions

Makasiiniranta street plans on display

A new architecture and design museum and the Saaret project, consisting of four buildings with hotel, office and commercial space, are planned for the Makasiininranta area. The detailed plans for the projects were approved by the Urban Environment Committee on 12 May and will now progress to the City Board and City Council for processing.

The draft street plans will be presented at a resident event on Tuesday, 2 June, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at Helsinki City Hall.

The transformation of Makasiiniranta from a closed port to an urban waterfront open to all will increase the attractiveness, greenery and vibrancy of the streets and waterfront areas. Makasiiniranta is one of the most central and historically significant waterfront areas in Helsinki. The aim is to create a functionally diverse urban waterfront that will stand the test of time, support the future role of the South Harbour as part of the central urban area and strengthen the area’s role as a shared space for residents.

The northern part, which will be freed from port use, will be built in the first phase together with the associated new recreational areas and event facilities. The architecture and design museum and the two Saaret buildings are scheduled for completion in 2030. 

Read more

Visual representation: View to the Makasiininranta area / K2S Arkkitehdit and White Arkitekter

New international experts appointed to the Board of Directors of the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki

Elina Anckar, CFO of Marimekko, Marianne Goebl, Managing Director of Artek, and Gitte Ørskou, Director of Moderna Museet, have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki. The new appointments bring international leadership experience from respected organisations in the fields of design and museums and strengthen expertise in finance and business. The appointments are made by the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, which owns the museum company. Juha Ahonen, Executive Director of the Culture and Leisure Division at the City of Helsinki, has been appointed as a new member of the Foundation’s Board.

Elina Anckar, CFO of Marimekko since 2015, brings strong expertise in the strategic financial development based on her vast experience across multiple industries. She has successfully developed organisations, led major transformation projects, and been responsible for international stakeholder relations. Anckar was named CFO of the Year in 2022.

Marianne Goebl, Managing Director of Artek, has over two decades of experience developing initiatives at the intersection of culture and commerce. Since 2014, she has led the creative and commercial direction of the Finnish design company, part of the Vitra Group. Previously, she served as Director of Design Miami, the leading fair for collectible design and held senior roles at Vitra.

Nordic museum sector expertise is brought to the Board by Gitte Ørskou, Director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm and Malmö. Moderna Museet enjoys a strong reputation as a pioneer in the global museum field. Ørskou has extensive experience in museum leadership and international collaboration in the cultural sector. She has overseen major organisational transformations and significantly increased visitor numbers and funding at the museums she has led. She is currently leading a national museum merger project in Sweden.

“The new Museum of Architecture and Design is a significant initiative also internationally. As a museum, we are positioning ourselves at the highest international level, firmly rooted in a Nordic context. The design of our new building, which is scheduled to open at the end of 2030, is now at a pivotal stage. At the same time, the museum’s operations are being developed and expanded in its current premises to meet future goals. We warmly welcome Elina Anckar, Marianne Goebl and Gitte Ørskou to the Board. Their expertise and networks will be a significant boost to our ambitious work,” says Chair of the Board Kaarina Gould.

Elina Anckar and Gitte Ørskou will begin their work on the Board on 25 March 2026. Marianne Goebl will assume her role later, starting on 1 August 2026.

Kaarina Gould will continue as Chair of the Board. The members of the Board are Pauli Sivonen (Vice Chair), Elina Anckar, Marianne Goebl, Laura Aalto, Jenni Reuter, Jutta Tynkkynen and Gitte Ørskou. Petri Tervonen and Heli Lehtonen will step down from the Board. The Director of the Architecture & Design Museum is Pilvi Kalhama.

There are also changes to the Board of Directors of the museum’s owner, the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design. The City of Helsinki has appointed Juha Ahonen, Executive Director of the Culture and Leisure Division, to the Foundation’s Board for a three-year term. Ahonen brings strong expertise in leading and developing large service portfolios. He has broad experience in renewing organisational culture and guiding strategic development. Mikko Aho, who has served on the Board as City-appointed member, will continue as a member appointed by the foundation. Pauli Kariniemi, Director General of the Financial Markets Department at the Ministry of Finance, will continue as the State representative in the Foundation’s board.

Timo Laitinen will continue as Chair of the Board. The other members are Anne Korkiakoski (Vice Chair), Jannica Fagerholm, Susanna Pettersson, Anna Valtonen, and Merja Ylä-Anttila.

–
About the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki

The Architecture & Design Museum is located in the Kaartinkaupunki district of Helsinki at Korkeavuorenkatu 23. The museum is currently preparing for a new phase, with a new building planned for Helsinki’s South Harbour. The new home, designed by JKMM Architects following an international competition, is expected to open in 2030. Until the new building is completed, the museum will continue to operate in its current premises.

The Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design is responsible for establishing the new museum, fundraising, and managing the national collections. The museum is operated as Finland’s national responsibility museum by AD-museo Oy. Kiinteistö Oy ADM, owned by the State of Finland and the City of Helsinki, is responsible for the development and construction of the new building.

The founders of the new Museum of Architecture and Design are the State of Finland and the City of Helsinki. The founding partners are the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Louise and Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Saastamoinen Foundation, the Centennial Foundation of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design, and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.

Industry Muscle Promo Video Wins Award at Voitto

The promotional video for the Industry Muscle exhibition presented in Venice has won first prize in the Music and Sound Design category at the Finnish advertising film competition Voitto.

The best advertising films of 2025 were awarded at the Voitto Gala held at the Old Student House in Helsinki on Friday, 6 March 2026. The jury praised the video in particular for its strong understanding of the dramaturgical power of sound.

The award-winning video served as the international promotional material for the Industry Muscle exhibition, highlighting its key themes through powerful audiovisual storytelling.

The Voitto competition annually honors the best creators and productions in Finnish advertising film.

The Architecture and Design Museum produced the exhibition Industry Muscle: Five Scores for Architecture for the Nordic Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The Biennale was open to the public from 10 May to 23 November 2025.

Created by performance artist Teo Ala-Ruona together with their working group, the exhibition examined the modern built environment from the perspective of the trans body. Combining architecture, performance art, and installation, the project proposed five exercises for the architecture of the future. The exhibition was curated by architect Kaisa Karvinen.

The video was filmed at a concrete factory in Helsinki, where the exhibition installation was built from concrete, steel, and an old sports car. The video also offered a first glimpse of the performance presented in Venice. The performers are Ala-Ruona, Kid Kokko, and Caroline Suinner.

The video was produced by Cocoa and directed by Taito Kawata, whose previous work includes the Netflix series Dance Brothers.

Video Production Team

Director – Taito Kawata
Executive Producer – Ilona Malinen
Music & Sound Design – Akseli Soini / El Camino
Music & Sound Design – Petja Virikko / El Camino
Sound Design / Original score for Industry Muscle: Tuukka Haapakorpi
Director of Photography – Tuomas Nurmi
Production Manager: Samuli Hilkamo
Production assistant: Juuli Nyberg
Production Assistant / Gaffer – Eemi Lehto
Light Technician – Tiia Hyyryläinen
1st Assistant Camera – Henrik Leppänen
Hair & Makeup – Emma Janhonen
Grip – Oskari Jokinen
Grip Assistant – Pepe Uimonen
Set Design – Teo Paaer
VFX Artist – Juho Lähdesmäki
Colorist – Joni Kuusisto

Performers
Teo Ala-Ruona
Caroline Suinner
Kid Kokko

Special Thanks
Jan Tuomisto / Studio Lupara Oy
Angel Rentals / Roope Ruuska
Bongobongo / Joonas Saine
Vihdin Betoni Oy

Production Company
Cocoa (@wearecocoa)

Foundation reaches Endowment Target with Significant Gift

The donation of two million euros from the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation has secured the minimum goal for the endowment for the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design. The returns from the capital assets will provide long-term financial support for the operations of the Museum of Architecture and Design in its new building, set to open in the early 2030s in Helsinki’s South Harbour.

With the commitment from the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation, the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design’s capital endowment has now reached its minimum goal of 150 million euros. The 60 million euro commitments by each of the Foundation’s founders – the Finnish state and the City of Helsinki – create the capital base. An exceptionally strong share of the funding, 30 million euros, has been raised from private sector donors.

Through the donation, the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation will become a Founding Partner of the New Museum of Architecture and Design. Other Founding Partners include the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Saastamoinen Foundation, and the Centennial Fund of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design.

The Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation, established in 1991, supports education and research, environmental protection, culture and social activities in Finland. The foundation annually awards over one million euros in long-term grants and scholarships to innovative pilot projects.

“The New Museum of Architecture and Design is an exceptionally significant initiative. We are excited to support a project that strengthens and showcases the global visibility of Finnish design and architecture, as well as highlights their significance for society, culture and economy. The future museum, located in a landmark setting, will create a new attraction for Helsinki and the whole of Finland. It is an honour for us to help enable the realization of this vision,” says Georg Ehrnrooth, Chairman of the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation.

“The Louise and Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation’s donation is a powerful expression of confidence in the future and value of design and architecture within our society. Thanks to this this pivotal contribution, we are ready to take the next steps on the journey towards opening the New Museum of Architecture and Design. We express our warmest gratitude to the Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation,” says Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.

The New Museum of Architecture and Design

The New Museum of Architecture and Design is expected to open in Helsinki’s South Harbour’s Makasiiniranta district in 2030. The results of the international design competition for the museum’s new building were announced in September 2025. The Finnish architecture firm JKMM Architects, known for their museum architecture, was selected as the winner. The museum’s new home aims to provide a setting for world-class museum activities and to enable the museum’s social mission: shaping our shared future through architecture and design. The new building is being implemented by the Real Estate Company ADM, founded by the City of Helsinki and the Finnish State.

Image: JKMM Architects

Pilvi Kalhama at the European Architecture Institutions Conference

The museum director of the Architecture & Design Museum in Helsinki Pilvi Kalhama took part in a three-day gathering of European architecture institutions hosted by the Danish Architecture Center DAC in Copenhagen. The event invited participants to reflect on how architectural institutions can create cultural value and cohesion in a time marked by climate crisis, social instability, and growing divides.

Pilvi Kalhama, Director of the Architecture & Design Museum, contributed with a talk on the evolving role of cultural institutions. She highlighted how museums today navigate a rapidly shifting landscape shaped by digitalization, the demand for inclusion, and the redefinition of public space. Kalhama’s talk was tightly knitted to the new Architecture & Design Museum currently being developed in Helsinki, planned to open to the public in 2030. At the heart of her message was a call for institutions to strengthen their roles as democratic arenas and to remain self-aware of the ways they might also be part of the challenges they seek to address.

Even though the construction of the new museum building is on the horizon, Kalhama emphasized placemaking as a continuous, collaborative civic practice that centres people rather than buildings. Good places, she noted, are never finished; they develop alongside the communities that inhabit them. Extending this idea, she asked how institutions can “design” conditions for social cohesion and ensure that diverse voices feel welcome and represented.

She concluded by urging cultural institutions to remain flexible and open-ended. Even for a museum dedicated to architecture and design, the future role of the institution should not be fully designed in advance, but shaped through dialogue, participation, and shared imagination.

Main photo: Anni Koponen, Architecture and Design Museum

Saara Suojoki appointed Director of Communications and Brand at the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki

Saara Suojoki has been appointed Director of Communications and Brand at the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki. Suojoki will take up the position on 1st March 2026.

In this new role, Saara Suojoki will be responsible for developing the museum’s societal impact, brand communications, and the overall museum experience. The position has been created to strengthen both the domestic and international recognition of the Architecture & Design Museum as it transitions towards its new building, set to open in Helsinki’s South Harbour in 2030.

“The future of the Architecture & Design Museum is a societal mission for us. Suojoki’s vision for brand communications supports our goal of becoming an internationally unique museum well before the opening of our new building. They bring with her a strong experience and expertise in engaging diverse stakeholders around a shared vision and in building the museum’s impact holistically and sustainably,” says Museum Director Pilvi Kalhama.

Saara Suojoki is transferring to the museum from her position as the Development Director at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Prior to this, she held senior marketing and communications positions at major museums in the Helsinki metropolitan area, including HAM Helsinki Art Museum from 2014 to 2017 and the Ateneum Art Museum from 2006 to 2014.

“I see the new Museum of Architecture and Design as a shared project of all Finns. It is inspiring to take part in creating a new kind of museum that speaks to everyone. My goal is to make the museum’s distinctiveness and uniqueness even more visible on the journey towards the new museum. By strengthening the meaningful museum experience, we will also support the museum’s growth and role in this time. Together, we will make the museum a phenomenon,” says Saara Suojoki.

The new Museum of Architecture and Design

The new Museum of Architecture and Design is expected to open in 2030 in Makasiiniranta, located in Helsinki’s South Harbour. The results of the anonymous international design competition for the museum building were announced in September 2025, with JKMM Architects, renowned for their museum architecture, selected as the winner. The new museum aims to provide a setting for world-class museum activities and to strengthen the role of architecture and design as integral parts of society.

Until the new museum is completed, the Architecture & Design Museum will continue to operate at Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki.

This autumn’s programme includes Winner! – an exhibition presenting the results of the design competition for the new museum – and Escape to Moominvalley, which explores in an unprecedented way Tove Jansson’s real-life environments in relation to the spaces of Moominvalley. Check out what’s on currently at: admuseo.fi/eng

Photo: Anni Koponen

Carson Chan named Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs

Carson Chan is named the Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs of the new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki, one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Finland’s recent history. Chan will provide a comprehensive intellectual vision for the museum and oversee the strategic planning, development, and implementation of the museum’s content-related programming, including exhibitions, collections, publications, diverse research initiatives, and audience engagement. Ahead of the museum’s opening in a new building in Helsinki’s South Harbour in 2030, Chan will begin his new roles in January 2026, as the museum continues to operate at its current premises at Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki.

“We aim to build a leading and inspiring museum for the creative industries in the Nordic context, with a cross-disciplinary and innovative approach. Carson Chan’s valuable expertise and visionary work as a bold explorer of new territories supports our museum’s ambitious goal to engage global and diverse audiences. I am truly delighted to welcome Carson to our dynamic team, bringing professionalism and insight that will help shape our journey toward the museum of the future,” describes Pilvi Kalhama, Director of the Architecture and Design Museum Helsinki, outlining the emphasis behind Chan’s appointment.

“The chance to tackle today’s social, ecological, and political challenges through architecture and design within a new institution is a once-in-a-lifetime privilege. Building on Finland’s celebrated architecture and design legacy, I see the future museum as a global leader not just in showcasing these fields, but in actively shaping their evolution. It is an honor to join Pilvi in Helsinki to create a new kind of museum program, one driven by a spirit of urgency, a commitment to innovation, and a foundation of rigorous research. I am driven to expand the narrative of architecture and design, crafting inclusive new frameworks that will fundamentally shape contemporary culture.”

Chan comes to the new Museum of Architecture and Design from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City where he has served as the inaugural Director of the Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and Natural Environment, and where he was also Curator of architecture and design since 2021. Chan was also a member of the museum’s sustainability task force, which leads an institution-wide effort to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. Through a range of curatorial programs and research initiatives at MoMA, he championed dialogue and critical thinking around the built and natural environment. Chan used a multifaceted approach—including public programs, scholarly conferences, publications, and collaborations with MoMA’s learning and engagement team—to illuminate architecture’s historical foundations in ecology and justice for diverse audiences. His widely acclaimed exhibition at MoMA, Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism (2023), crucially brought to attention the US architectural responses to the environmental crises of the 20th century.

Focused on a sustained inquiry into the boundaries of architecture and design, Carson Chan’s curatorial practice began with the co-founding of PROGRAM in Berlin with Fotini Lazaridou-Hatzigoga in 2006, an experimental project space and residency that fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue. This foundational work led to large-scale curatorial projects, including co-curating the 4th Marrakech Biennale (2012) with Nadim Samman, which featured 37 new commissions, and serving as Executive Curator of the Biennial of the Americas in Denver (2013). Across these platforms, Chan prompted creators to produce site-responsive works that grounded global discourses in local contexts.

Chan is a prolific writer whose work appears in publications such as Art Papers, Frieze, Log, Texte zur Kunst, and 032c, where he previously served as Editor-at-Large. He has contributed essays to monographs on artists and architects including Monica Bonvicini, Julian Charrière, Aleksandra Domanović, LaToya Ruby Frazier, and Barkow Leibinger. Chan holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and a Masters in Design Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. His doctoral research at Princeton University focuses on the rise of environmentalism and the architecture of postwar public aquariums in the United States. In 2013, he co-convened the conference “Exhibiting Architecture: A Paradox?” at the Yale School of Architecture with David Andrew Tasman and Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen; the resulting papers were published by Actar in 2015.

Photo: Anni Koponen

Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design Receives Major Donation from the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation

The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation has made a donation of €1 million to the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design. The gift, which is the Wihuri Foundation’s largest single contribution this year, will be allocated to the museum’s endowment fund, the proceeds of which will enable ambitious activities in the Architecture & Design Museum ‘s new building, set to open in 2030.

Building on significant donations from the City of Helsinki and the Finnish government, the Foundation’s private capital target of €30 million has now reached €28 million.

“The Wihuri Foundation’s gift marks a significant step toward opening the new Museum of Architecture and Design. An early commitment to the project is a powerful expression of trust in the future and the value that design, architecture, and cultural institutions bring to our society. Our heartfelt thanks to the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation,” says Kaarina Gould, the CEO of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.

A high level Advisory Group is established to advance the next fundraising milestone

The museum project’s fundraising and partnership efforts continue with the support of a new group of distinguished experts. The Fundraising Advisory Group is chaired by Kirsi Komi, and joined by Nathalie Ahlström, Tuomas Aho, Christina Dahlblom, Jussi Herlin, Sanna-Mari Jäntti, Petteri Karttunen, Laura Tarkka, and Ari Tolppanen as members.

The role of the advisory group is to identify collaboration opportunities and foster dialogue with potential partners and funders. In doing so, the group contributes to building a broad partnership ecosystem and ensures progress toward the project’s fundraising goals. The members of the advisory group have been invited by the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.

“It’s a privilege to be part of building something this unique for Finland,” says Kirsi Komi, Chair of the Fundraising Advisory Group. “The new Museum of Architecture and Design is an investment that will create growth and value across our society. I see this project as one of the defining shared efforts of our decade – one that holds countless opportunities for collaboration for a broad range of businesses and organizations.”

The new Museum of Architecture and Design

The new Museum of Architecture and Design is expected to open in 2030 in Helsinki’s South Harbour’s Makasiininranta district. The results of the museum’s international design competition were announced in September 2025. The competition was won by the Finnish architecture practice JKMM Architects, renowned for its museum architecture, with its proposal “Kumma.”

The new home of the Architecture & Design Museum aims to provide a setting for world-class museum activities and to fulfill its social mission: to shape our shared future through architecture and design.

Both the City of Helsinki and the Government of Finland have committed €60 million each in capital donations to the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, which is responsible for establishing the new museum. The project has also received generous support from several private foundations and funds.

The museum’s founding partners are the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Svenska kulturfonden, the Saastamoinen Foundation, the Centenary Foundation of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design, and now, most recently, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.

Our warmest thanks to all founding partners for their donations, which make possible world-class operations in the new home of the Architecture & Design Museum.