Guggenheim Helsinki Museum

Add To Collection

Guggenheim Helsinki Museum

Firm

espAr Studio

Type

Cultural › Gallery Cultural Center Museum

STATUS

Concept

SIZE

100,000 sqft - 300,000 sqft

Architects: espAr Studio
Architects: Mohsen Tolou Sharifi, Elnaz Sabouri
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Area: 12100.0 sqm.
Client: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Year: 2014
Photographs: Courtesy of espAr Studio

CRYSTAL ICEBERG
To design the Guggenheim Museum could be the highest ambition an architect may long for; to stand in the shoes of the greats in the world of architecture and to challenge one’s self artistic abilities and potentials.
The design process of a museum of such great history could bring myriads of challenges. The proposed project should be iconic, creative, context-oriented, progressive, and compatible with environment. The confrontation of steel and concrete with the man and the environment in the threads of the project’s nature may seem so complicated. On the one hand, the observer is given a broad view with the destruction of the old building currently present in the site, on the other hand, through putting the new mass in place, a more portion of the observer’s view would be blocked. The initial challenge will be born in here; the building should not distort the observer’s view. Consequently we took the first step trying to distancing part of the building from the ground so that the solidity of the museum and the blockade of the general observer’s view to the sea would decrease. Also, through decreasing the height of the museum, the perfect view of the observer would be preserved. This same view itself talks about a green connection between the nearby park and the rooftop of the museum that would come into existence; the pedestrian way that would connect the two sides of the street on a level higher than the traffic level and would stretch the park greenery to the seaside. This movement diagram would cause some surfaces to come into existence which in turn connects the rooftop to the ground in a way that the pedestrian circulation would get underway between ground level of the site and the park.
The connection of the museum rooftop to the ground would transform the rooftop from a cliché and useless state into a dynamic space. Since the view from the rooftop seems to be ideal, all the surfaces that could be considered an appropriate view would be used in the design process. This usage is of such significance that perhaps the best and most important part of the museum, that is a luxury restaurant, would stretch itself to an exterior space and ends up with a vast terrace overlooking the sea. Of course, the terrace would be closed in seasons with cold weather or would be utilized through appropriate measures taken by the authorities.
Having an appropriate view at hand, the interior spaces have also moved towards transparency to the maximum extend. The space of the museum in general, and public spaces in particular have been designed in the most transparent way possible so that the connection between the inside and outside of the building would not get lost. This inner and outer transparency is the child of the crystal-clear modern world in terms of data communication. On the other hand, the site being situated in between two natural beauties, namely the park and the sea, would make transparency a must; as a result, the level of visitors’ pleasure and enjoyment would increase which in term would lead to a considerable rise in the number of future visitors.
The transparency of the interior spaces in parallel with smooth continuity of the functional surfaces would bring to mind the smooth ramps in the Guggenheim Museum in New York City as well as the bridges in between the void and the glass walls in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The slow-sloped surfaces that embraces the central atrium, like Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, are part of the museum themselves though with a distinctive feature; the new Guggenheim would utilize the digital interactive panels rather than the genuine pieces of art throughout the atrium ramps.
Taking the huge amount of the glass used in the project into account, several appropriate measures should be taken in terms of energy saving. Hence, four distinctive models and technics have been utilized in the glass façade of the building in order to adjust the temperature.
The building could come up with the potential to turn itself into an iconic landmark besides showcasing the precious pieces of art as well as a place to provide a friendly ambience for the people to socialize and communicate. In all the connecting pathways of the project, the attempt has been made to broaden the view towards the natural scenery around. Moreover, all the pathways have been planned in a way to overlook one another.
The rise in the number of visual encounters of the visitors while walking through the pathways would potentially encourage them to carry on with their way which in turn helps to raise the museum efficiency. The highest attempt has been made to install the digital interactive panels throughout all the connecting pathways such as atrium ramps and the gap between the galleries.
Inside the hall situated in the southern side of the building a sitting area has been designated to host ceremonies and exhibitions both indoors and outdoors.
All in all, the museum could resemble an iceberg separated from its birth place trying to boast of its crystal and dynamic world as an iconic landmark in the city.

Product Spec Sheet

Were your products used?

Join as a manufacturer to add your products.

Collaborating Firms

Was your firm involved? Add it now.

Team

Were you involved? Add yourself.

Keep Exploring Architizer by Creating a Free Account or Logging in.

Guggenheim Helsinki Museum

Guggenheim Helsinki Museum

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team