Helsinki City Council has approved a capital donation of 60 million euros to the foundation responsible for establishing the new national museum of architecture and design. The Finnish state will match this funding, with an additional 30 million euros to be raised from private donations. With these commitments in place, an international design competition for the new museum building will be launched in April. The new museum will sit at the heart of a new pedestrian-friendly district in Helsinki's South Harbour.

On 14 February, Helsinki City Council approved a total capital donation of 60 million euros that will enable the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design to realise its ambition of delivering a New Museum of Architecture and Design. The Finnish state confirmed its commitment to offering equivalent funding in December 2023. The foundation will additionally raise at least 30 million euros from private sources, creating a robust private funding base for the museum project.

These decisions are significant milestones in the path towards realising the long-planned new national museum of architecture and design. The museum project will now continue to advance in line with the implementation plan published by the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design in January 2024. According to the target schedule, the museum could open its doors in Helsinki's South Harbour in 2030. The museum will be operated by an entity that has been established through a merger of the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum Helsinki.

“This new museum is set to both enhance Helsinki's global profile and provide a new, meaningful incentive to visit Helsinki. The museum will provide a cultural heart for the rapidly developing South Harbour area and a new, inviting urban space in Helsinki’s prime maritime location. It also represents a sustainable investment that will create jobs, generate commerce, and attract tourists to Helsinki. The museum represents an investment in the future, it is exciting to see the plans now coming to fruition,” commented the Mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen.

Design competition to launch on April 15, 2024

An international, two-stage design competition will be held to select the design of the new museum building. The competition aims to deliver a design that is architecturally unique, providing the framework for world-class museum operations and creating new, vibrant urban spaces in Helsinki’s rejuvenating South Harbour area.

The competition brief will be published on April 15, 2024, and the results will be announced in August 2025. The open, anonymous competition will be conducted in English. More details can be found on the competition website.

The competition is organised by Real Estate Company ADM – an entity owned by the City of Helsinki and the Finnish state – together with the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, and in cooperation with the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA and the City of Helsinki.

For more information, visit the competition website.