Design Competition for New Museum of Architecture & Design in Helsinki

The competition for the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki is conducted internationally in partnership with the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), spanning two stages from April 2024 to September 2025. This competition seeks to procure a design for a distinctive museum building that will celebrate the rich heritage and innovative spirit of Finnish and Nordic design and architecture on a global scale.
The new museum has emerged from the merger of the Museum of Finnish Architecture (established in 1952) and the Design Museum (established in 1873) at the outset of 2024. Situated in the Makasiiniranta waterfront district within Helsinki’s South Harbour, adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of The Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, the designated site for the new museum building holds significant cultural and historical value. Thoughtful consideration of this location will be integral to the design process, as the museum will serve as the focal point of a new public realm, fostering connectivity between visitors and residents alike.
Stage 1 of the competition (15 Apr~29 Aug 2024), participants will submit an architectural concept, explain its relationship with the surrounding cityscape and create an initial building design that meets the functional requirements and financial criteria laid out in the competition brief. To Stage 2 of the competition (Feb~May 2025), the jury will select 3 to 5 entries that both meet the evaluation criteria and exhibit the greatest development potential. The AD Museum is scheduled to open its doors in 2030, with construction slated to commence in 2027.

1. Eligibility
(1) Stage 1
– Individuals and design teams
– The lead designer must present the following personal qualifications:
A completed university level master’s degree in architecture.
Confirm that they have the right to practice as an architect in their country of residence.
The person must be a resident of a European Union country or of a country that is party to The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA 2012).
(2) Stage 2 *the design teams selected for Stage 2 must include the following experts
– At least one (1) member of the design team must have obtained qualifications to the level required in Finland to act as both a principal designer and a building designer (Poikkeuksellisen vaativaPV, exceptionally difficult) 1, 2.
– Qualifications for other additional team members should be referred to in official documentation.

2. Overview
– Location: Makasiiniranta district, in Helsinki’s South Harbou, Finland
– The total net floor area: 6,600m²
– The estimated gross floor area: 10,050m²

3. Schedule
(1) Stage 1
– Submission: ~8.29(Thu) 17:00 (UTC+3)
– Announcement: December 2024
(2) Stage 2
– Required expertise supplement: January 2025
– Competition resumption: February 2025
– Online and onsite conversations for the shortlisted teams: February~March 2025
– Submission: May 2025
– Announcement: September 2025

4. Submission Documents
(1) Stage 1
– PDF format
– A3 sized horizontal pages
– Maximum 12 pages
– The content structure of each page should be referred to in official documentation.
(2) Stage 2
– PDF-booklet in A3-format (landscape)
– Max 10 A1 boards (PDF, landscape)

5. Jury
– Chair: Mikko Aho (Architect SAFA, Vice Chair of Real Estate Company ADM)
– Vice-chair: Juha Lemström (Architect SAFA, Chair of Real Estate Company ADM)
– Other jury members:
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, Aalto University)
Miklu Silvanto (Designer, Entrepreneur, Member of the Board of AD Museum)
Anni Sinnemäki (Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment, City of Helsinki)