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

Marimekko exhibition tour begins in Japan – Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki collection plays a central role 

The exhibition Marimekko: Art of Printmaking – Beauty, Dream, Love opens at The Museum of Kyoto on 4 July 2026, launching a tour across Japan. The majority of the exhibition’s contents – approximately seventy objects and photographs – come from the collections of Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki.

Co-curated by museums in Japan and Marimekko, the exhibition focuses on Marimekko’s printmaking tradition and founder Armi Ratia’s ideas about colour, beauty and joy in everyday life. Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki has lent photographs, historical magazine articles, iconic textile prints and garments from different decades to the exhibition.

The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from Marimekko’s early years and first fashion shows to the vibrant world of the 1960s and 1970s and on to the present day. It offers insight into the creative work of the designers whose vision forms the foundation of the company’s identity. Highlights include printed textiles designed by Armi Ratia and Maija Isola, as well as garments and patterns by Annika Rimala, Pentti Rinta and Katsuji Wakisaka.

“The collections of Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki offer a unique perspective not only on Marimekko’s history, but also on the distinctive work and careers of individual designers. Many of the most important names in Finnish design worked for Marimekko at some point in their careers. It is wonderful to see Marimekko’s printmaking tradition presented in Japan, where interest in both Marimekko and Finnish design remains exceptionally strong,” says Harry Kivilinna, Curator at Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki.

The exhibition traces Marimekko’s transformation from a Finnish textile company into an internationally recognised design brand. Among the featured materials is the famous 1960 issue of Sports Illustrated, which included photographs of Jackie Kennedy wearing a Marimekko dress and helped bring international attention to the company. Marimekko products first became available in Japan in the early 1970s and have remained popular for decades.

In addition to collection materials from the museum, the exhibition features a work by the Japanese artist collective plaplax, which immerses visitors in the creative environment of Marimekko’s printing factory in Helsinki, as well as an installation created for the exhibition by designer Akira Minagawa.

The world’s most significant Marimekko collection

The Marimekko Collection at Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki spans the company’s history from the years of Printex, which preceded the founding of Marimekko, through its first fashion shows and up to the present day. The collection comprises approximately 4,000 garments, textiles and fabric samples, as well as around 10,000 photographs. It documents the work of Marimekko’s key designers across different decades, including Maija Isola, Vuokko Nurmesniemi, Annika Rimala, Fujiwo Ishimoto, Katsuji Wakisaka and Pentti Rinta.

Marimekko donated the collection to the Museum of Applied Arts (formerly Design Museum, now Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki) in 1986. Over the past four decades it has been continuously expanded through acquisitions and donations from the company. The collection has previously been featured in exhibitions in Australia (2017–2018), Japan (2016–2017), the Netherlands (2014) and the Nordic countries (2006).

Exhibition tour in Japan

The Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto 4 July – 6 September 2026
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo
Hiroshima Museum of Art, Hiroshima
and more.

Museum Collections Featured in Japan

Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki’s collections are currently receiving significant visibility in Japan through two touring exhibitions. Also touring Japan is Kaj Franck – Timeless Finland Design, produced by Asahi Shimbun in collaboration with Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki. The exhibition opened in Oita in April and will next be presented at the Iwami Art Museum in Shimane Prefecture from 27 July 2026.

Read more about Kaj Franck’s retrospective
Read the Exhibition Press Release

Lisätiedot

Kaj Franck Retrospective to Tour in Japan

The retrospective Kaj Franck – Timeless Finland Design presents Kaj Franck’s work on an unprecedented scale in Japan. The exhibition begins its two-year tour of Japan at the Oita Prefectural Art Museum on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Produced by Asahi Shimbun in collaboration with the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki, the exhibition traces Franck’s career from his early works to his later production. A special emphasis is placed on Franck’s relationship with Japanese culture, explored through his three trips to Japan.

More than 250 works from the collections of the Architecture & Design Museum are on display. The exhibition has been curated on behalf of the museum by exhibition curator Harry Kivilinna.

A Major Retrospective Showcasing a Cornerstone of Finnish Design

Kaj Franck – Timeless Finland Design offers a comprehensive overview of Kaj Franck’s work across different periods. The exhibition includes works designed for the Arabia and Nuutajärvi factories: mass-produced ceramics and glass, as well as unique art glass pieces. Alongside his clean-lined and minimalist forms, the exhibition also presents Franck’s earlier work, such as printed textiles and wooden toys from the 1940s.

From the mid-1960s onwards, art glass becomes a central focus. The glass objects represent numerous techniques that Franck developed in collaboration with master glassblowers at Nuutajärvi.

The influence of Japan on Franck’s design language is evident, for example, in several ceramic objects he designed for Arabia. The exhibition is complemented by an extensive selection of sketches and photographs from the Kaj Franck archive of the Architecture & Design Museum, offering insights into his working process and thinking.

“Kaj Franck is one of the best-known Finnish designers in Japan, and Timeless Finland Design is his first major retrospective in the country. The exhibition highlights his deep interest in Japanese culture, which led him to make three trips to Japan. It showcases his pioneering thinking, in which design served as a means of addressing societal challenges”, says the exhibition’s project manager Tomoe Takagi from Asahi Shimbun.

“Kaj Franck – Timeless Finland Design is already the third touring exhibition on Finnish design in Japan produced by the Architecture & Design Museum in collaboration with Asahi Shimbun. Marimekko-Design, Fabric, Lifestyle (2015–2017), focusing on Marimekko’s history and present day, and Iittala – The Stars of Finnish Glass (2022–2024) were both popular touring exhibitions. The exhibition opening will undoubtedly continue along the same path of success. Finnish design seems to hold a special place in the hearts of the Japanese,” says Kivilinna.

The exhibition also features several other Finnish designers, such as Oiva Toikka, Vuokko Nurmesniemi, Heikki Orvola, and Harri Koskinen, whose careers or work were directly influenced by Franck.

The exhibition begins its two-year tour of Japan at the Oita Prefectural Art Museum on Saturday, 25 April 2026. A Japanese-language publication, Kaj Franck – Timeless Finnish Design, published by Asahi Shimbun and edited by Tomoe Takagi, will be released in conjunction with the exhibition.

Exhibition Tour 

    • April – June 2026: Oita Prefectural Art Museum
    • July – September 2026: Iwami Art Museum
    • October – December 2026: Museum Eki KYOTO
    • January – March 2027: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

Additional venues will be announced later. 

Kaj Franck

Kaj Franck (1911–1989) is one of Finland’s most internationally renowned designers, whose beautifully practical objects continue to inspire new generations of designers. Franck graduated in 1932 as an interior architect from the Central School of Industrial Arts in Helsinki.

During the 1930s and 1940s, he worked in various roles in interior design companies and designed printed textiles, among other things, for the Helsinki Dye Works. In 1948, the Arabia ceramics factory appointed Franck as its artistic director. His best-known tableware designs for Arabia include Kilta (1953) and its successor Teema (1981).

In 1951, Franck became the artistic director of the Nuutajärvi glassworks, and from the mid-1950s onwards glass became his primary material. In the 1960s, he worked as a teacher at the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, significantly influencing an entire generation of designers. After ending his teaching career, Franck focused on art glass and experimental glassmaking techniques at Nuutajärvi.

The Architecture & Design Museum’s extensive Kaj Franck collection consists of more than 7,000 objects, photographs, and drawings.