Kaarina Gould has taken up her duties as Project Director for the new architecture and design museum. In this interview, she expresses her thoughts on the museum project and museums of the future, reflecting on the International Museum Day that is celebrating today. The theme for this year’s International Museum Day is The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine.

In what ways will the new museum be promoted? How will this process be?‍

Establishing a new museum is a bit like assembling a big jigsaw puzzle. One of the corners is the museum’s strategic concept of operations and programs. The concept informs what kinds of experiences and encounters the new museum will offer. The second corner is specifying the organization model required for running this new museum. The third corner encompasses the economic and financial matters related to it. The fourth important corner of this puzzle is the new museum building and it’s location, which will be developed in close collaboration with the team responsible for the City of Helsinki’s development of the South Harbor area in Helsinki.

Preparations regarding all these areas have been underway for some quite some time now. The necessary conditions for the realisation of the new museum project are indeed there. Our goal for the next few years is to produce a plan that the final decisions to implement the new museum can be made.

In May, International Museum Day is celebrating with the theme The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine. What do you think the museum of the future will be like? What will be required of it?

‍The museum of the future must be able to meet many needs and expectations. It should represent in-depth visionary expertise on both the past and the future. It should serve as an open, experiential place for learning and interaction and provide engaging ancillary services that deepen the museum experience. In addition to this, the museum of the future should facilitate encounters and produce content that will also reach audiences beyond its walls. Moreover, all this should be done in a way that invites a broad range of groups and communities feel they have ownership of the museum.

What makes this project internationally unique?‍

In the Nordic countries design and architecture are uniquely linked to society and identity – this means that if the museum is realised, it will not only showcase the disciplines it represents, but also tell a bigger story about our society.

The rest of the world has waited for this museum for at least as long as we have – considering our heritage and expertise in the fields of architecture and design, we’re almost obligated to build it. The new architecture and design museum is also one of the most significant design and architecture museum projects currently underway in the world – from an international point of view, it is extremely interesting what kinds of decisions we will make as we design and build a museum for the post-pandemic era, an era where the impact on climate of every new initiative should be thoroughly considered.

Has the pandemic period given rise to new museum-related innovations that could also be utilised and developed further in the concept for the new museum?‍

In a way, it’s great that we are just now really kicking off this long-awaited museum project. Even though the coronavirus pandemic has caused extreme hardship, we now also have a completely new perspective on how museums and other cultural institutions can serve audiences. This is a perspective that we naturally cannot ignore when developing the concept for the new museum. I’m convinced that the activities created during the pandemic period, the digital content, virtual exhibition tours and discussions, are here to stay and will be developed further.

What do you regard as a unique museum experience?‍

A museum visit can be unique in so many ways. Sometimes what you remember best is a moment shared with a friend or family member. I visit museums alone especially when I’m travelling. During those visits, my perspective is a bit different; the perspective of a professional. However, the best part is always when you learn something new. Sometimes an exhibition will offer you new insight, sometimes it will happen at the museum book shop, and sometimes it comes to you as you’re sitting at the museum restaurant with a glass of wine.

How do you see the role of museums in the future? What kind of a role should museums play in society?‍

I do believe that museums can play a significant role in public discussion. Museums represent the memory, current phenomena and future prospects of our society, and they are focal points for community encounters. I can’t think of an entity better suited to be at the centre of the debate.

The architecture and design museum represents fields that play a significant role in the functionality and future of our society. Design – whether it be the design of our built, material environment or systemic thinking – always strives towards new, better solutions and actions. If there ever was a time for hopeful actions and solutions that aim at a better future, it is now.

Finland’s plan to build a new museum for architecture and design has taken an important step today as the Ministry of Education and Culture, along with the City of Helsinki, have established a new project organization to coordinate the planning of the new museum. Kaarina Gould – former Program Director of Helsinki’s World Design Capital year in 2012, current Executive Director of the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York – has been appointed to lead the project. A high-level steering group has been formed to supervise the project, with Timo Laitinen, Director General of Finland’s State Treasury, as Chair.

The new museum will merge two existing museums, the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, and function as the national museum in these fields. Once established, the museum of architecture and design will be housed in a new building, constructed in the South Harbour of Helsinki as part of the overall development of the district.

The decision to move ahead with the new museum is based on in-depth surveys and an initial concept plan drawn up in 2018–2019 by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the City of Helsinki, and the two museums. During the preliminary planning phase, a management and funding model for the museum was also formed.

In 2021, a foundation will be established for the new architecture and design museum to manage the present museums’ collections. Museum operations will be coordinated by a limited liability company, to be established later, which will be fully owned by the foundation. The state of Finland and the City of Helsinki are expected to provide equal shares of capital to the museum foundation. In its fourth supplementary budget proposal for 2020, the Government undertook to capitalise the new museum foundation with a maximum of EUR 60 million.

The next stage is to produce a comprehensive plan that will allow the funders to make final decisions on the implementation of the project. This phase of the project, led by the newly appointed Project Director Kaarina Gould, will launch on May 1st, and is expected to last until late 2023. Gould, experienced with large scale international projects and initiatives such as the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, will work alongside the teams of the two museums, the organizations of the City of Helsinki, and the Ministry of Education and Culture to secure the foundations for building a pioneering museum of international calibre.

Supporting and supervising the project will be a steering group, chaired by Timo Laitinen, Director General of Finland’s State Treasury. Other members include leadership from the City of Helsinki, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Finance, directors and chairpersons of Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, and a number of experts from fields of design, finance, and urban development.

“The revival of cultural activities along with sustainable growth provide a path towards a brighter future. Architecture and design are our strengths, and they play an important part in providing sustainable solutions for society. The new museum brings together unique content, competence and creativity. We are working towards a world-class architecture and design museum with a concept that fosters new experiences and insight.”

Anita Lehikoinen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture

“Global competition between cities will increase notably. As a result of the Covid crisis, the prerequisites for a good life, as well as human and social capital will play an important role alongside more traditional attractions. In the era we live in, the courage to dream big and invest in the future is needed for nations to succeed. Meanwhile, design and architecture play an increasingly crucial role in solving global problems. There could hardly be a more opportune time to establish a new museum for architecture and design.”

Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki

“This new stage on the path to the realization of the New Architecture and Design Museum has been prepared with great care. We are happy to start working with the project organization, as we now move forward with the outlines for the operating principles, core contents and guidelines for the new building and museum. Architecture and design are Finnish strengths, which have helped in realizing the values of the Nordic welfare model. The new museum can lead the way and encourage us to discuss, learn, and experience different ways of building a new model of the future welfare state.”

Carina Jaatinen, Director of Museum of Finnish Architecture &
Jukka Savolainen, Director of Design Museum

“Sustainability and pioneering thinking are the key values that the new museum – both as a concept and a new building – will be built upon. Audiences, architecture and design communities in Finland, and the world, have been awaiting this museum for decades. Now the time is right. The past year can be seen as a catalyst for the work that lies ahead – the challenges the pandemic has put on cultural institutions form an obligation and an opportunity to reinvent the museum.”

Kaarina Gould, Project Director