Stage 1 of the design competition for the new national museum of architecture and design, planned for Helsinki, concluded on 29 August 2024. An online gallery featuring submissions from the competition’s first stage will be published on 12 September. 3–5 entries will be selected for the second stage of the competition.  

The open, international, and two-stage competition aims to find a feasible design solution and a design team for a new museum building on a site in Helsinki's South Harbour. The first stage of the competition opened on 15 April, with proposals accepted until 29 August 2024.

An online gallery showcasing the main views of each accepted submission from the first stage of the design competition will be launched for public viewing on Thursday, 12 September. The online gallery will remain open until 29 November.   

Three to five designs will be selected for Stage 2 of the competition, each receiving an award of €50,000 euros. In addition, the jury will distribute three prize positions and two purchases totalling €150,000 at the end of the competition.  

The jury will announce its selection of entries for the second stage in December 2024. The competition results will be announced in September 2025. The new museum of architecture and design in Helsinki, Finland, is planned to open in 2030, bringing together the collections and organizations of the Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum Helsinki.   ‍

Kaarina Gould, CEO of The Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design and member of the jury said:  

"The first stage of the competition closed last night, and already at this point we would like to warmly thank all participants. On September 12 we will be able to share the number of approved entries, and publish an online gallery with the main views of these designs. The jury will begin their work immediately with the momentous task of assessing proposals from around the world on what the new home for architecture and design in Helsinki’s South Harbor could look like." ‍

The Competition Jury

The 13-member jury of leading architects, cultural experts and policymakers has been assembled to evaluate the competition entries.  

Chair: Mikko Aho, Architect SAFA, Vice Chair of Real Estate Company ADM  
Vice Chair: Juha Lemström, Architect SAFA, Chair of Real Estate Company ADM  
Gus Casely-Hayford, Director, V&A East  
Beatrice Galilee, Architect, Executive Director, The World Around  
Kaarina Gould, CEO, Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design  
Salla Hoppu, Architect SAFA, Leading Architect, City of Helsinki  
Beate Hølmebakk, Architect, Professor, Partner, Manthey Kula Architects  
Riitta Kaivosoja, Director General, Ministry of Education and Culture, Department for Art and Cultural Policy  
Matti Kuittinen, Architect, Associate Professor of Architecture, Aalto University  
Miklu Silvanto, Designer, Chief Design Officer, Oura, AD Museum Board Member  
Anni Sinnemäki, Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment, City of Helsinki  
Sari Nieminen, Architect SAFA, Architectural Office Sari Nieminen  
Hannu Tikka, Architect SAFA, Professor, APRT Architects  
Learn more about the jury here‍

Launch of the Online Gallery for the 1 Stage of the New Architecture Museum Design Competition at Helsinki Design Week

An online gallery showcasing submissions from the first stage of the design competition will be unveiled in a public event at the Helsinki Design Week’s main stage on Thursday, 12 September, from 16:00 to 20:00. The event is open to everyone and free of charge, featuring thought-provoking talks and presentations from members of the museum’s international advisory group as well as other experts. The day will culminate with a keynote speech by Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, on museums as agents of change. Learn more about the programme and speakers here

The design competition is organized by the Real Estate Company ADM, owned by the City of Helsinki and the State of Finland, and the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, in collaboration with the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA). Strategic partners for the museum project are DVDL Cultural Planners (New York) and Haahtela Group. The new museum of architecture and design is made possible with funding and donations from the City of Helsinki, State of Finland, the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Saastamoinen Foundation and the Centennial Fund for the Finnish Association of Applied Arts. Learn more about the competition brief here.