Guggenheim Helsinki Competition - Helsinki
Projects / Public
Location Helsinki, Finland
Seeking to fuse the rigorous grid structure of the city with the streamlined aesthetic of a cruise ship, our proposal is a sculptural form that provides large, open galleries for the display of numerous types of exhibitions composed of four rectilinear volumes each with a distinct appearance and function.
The entrance of the lobby is walled in glass, providing a welcoming and inviting atmosphere that also gives visitors a wide-angle view of the harbor. The gallery spaces are held in the largest, stainless steel clad volume. This is oriented parallel to the harbor. Much like Mies Van der Rohe’s New National Gallery, this gallery space is completely open, free to be partitioned as curators see fit. The roof of the galleries acts as a sculpture garden, and is accessed via the third glass volume, which holds special exhibitions. Crowning the building is a three story multi-purpose room that is aligned with Helsinki’s current city block grid. All four volumes are accessed via a central core which holds a grand staircase and an elevator.