Archinect - News

The Guggenheim Bilbao announces $129 million Basque country expansion

2022-08-02T15:34:00-04:00

The Guggenheim Bilbao’s long-gestating plans to expand to a Spanish natural reserve may finally come to fruition. Earlier this week, officials with the government of the Biscay province, whose capital is Bilbao, revealed that they were planning to put €40 million toward an expansion in Urdaibai, an estuary to the east of Bilbao that has hundreds of plant species and thousands of human residents.

The new expansion will be connected to Frank Gehry’s original museum complex via a tunnel, according to the local outlet El Correo. The Guggenheim has been promoting the idea on and off since 2008 while it forged ahead with its other either failed or repeatedly-delayed (and not to mention politically-tinged) satellite projects under the leadership of outgoing Director Richard Armstrong.

As ARTnews reported, the Bilbao expansion will be an adaptive reuse design split between two former industrial sites in Guernica and Murueta. The total €127 million ($129 million) construction is expected to add at least 900 jobs and 148,000 annual visitors to the local economy in a hopeful repeat of the original expansion's famous effect. In a press statement, Armstrong said it will potentially be the "first important museum of the 21st century" and would not be "an architectural icon but a landscape one."

Moreau Kusunoki, winners of Guggenheim Helsinki competition, respond to rejected plans: "an extraordinary adventure despite the disappointing result"

2016-12-02T18:26:00-05:00

Now that Helsinki's city council has rejected the latest round of financing plans for the Guggenheim outpost, it appears that the winning design by Moreau Kusunoki most certainly won't be built. We reached out to the architects for comment, and they provided the following statement:

Guggenheim Helsinki was an extraordinary adventure despite the disappointing result of the vote from the City Council of Helsinki.

The reflections we had in conceiving the 21th-century museum in Helsinki were thought-provoking and revelatory, such as the participatory and social dimensions of the museum, the studies on in-between spaces and flexible use, and the use of charred-wood cladding.

This journey was also an opportunity to meet exceptional professionals, whose commitment to promoting art and architecture we deeply admire.

We are confident that this project represents a stepping stone and the possibility of an exciting future for our firm and for the field of architecture. It encourages new thoughts ...

Guggenheim Helsinki plans nixed by city, citing "the project’s excessive cost for the Finnish taxpayer"

2016-12-01T13:24:00-05:00

The mix of private and public funding for the Guggenheim Helsinki has officially been rejected in a city council vote, meaning that the plans for the museum designed by Moreau & Kusunoki are unlikely to ever be built. A new financing plan that drew the bulk of public funding from the city and the rest from private fundraising had been approved by the city board in November, but was vetoed by the larger city council last night. According to The New York Times, Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York, said about the vote that “I suppose that it was a reaction to a sense of engulfing internationalism, or a reaction against globalism. That’s how I’m explaining it to myself.”

Meanwhile, Helsinki City Council member and Guggenheim opposer Osku Pajamaki said that “I’m exhausted but relieved. Instead of buying a subsidiary of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, we can now focus on creating unique local cultural attractions in Helsinki.”

Offici...

One last chance for the Guggenheim Helsinki

2016-11-07T14:13:00-05:00

Earlier this year, news broke that the Finnish government had vetoed plans for the Guggenheim Helsinki Museum, a controversial satellite of the famed New York institution. Now, a new proposal has been prepared by the City government and the museum’s support foundation, which will be presented to the City for a final vote on the fate of the project.

The Guggenheim Helsinki was first proposed in 2011 but was voted down by the City of Helsinki in 2012. Afterwards, the Guggenheim Foundation prepared a new proposal and helped organize a massive design competition—one of the largest ever. The relatively-unknown studio Moreau Kusunoki Architectes won the competition.

According to estimates, the museum would cost around €130 million. The new plan proposes that the City of Helsinki would finance the majority of the costs, around €80 million, while the Supporting Foundation would put in €15 million. The rest would come from private sources, which already are said to have reached unprecedented l...

Finnish Government Refuses to Fund Guggenheim Helsinki

2016-09-12T17:00:37-04:00

“This is the end of the matter, we have ruled out state funding (for Guggenheim) once and for all, for this government, we are not opposed to the project as such, we just don’t think it is something that the state should participate in.”

"Champions of the Guggenheim Helsinki don’t plan on giving up. The Guggenheim Foundation said it will continue talks with the government and the city to find other funding options. But without the state’s help, plans for the outpost could now be dead in the water: at an expected cost of $134–$156 million, the museum would, according to Reuters, be too expensive for the city and private financiers to cover alone."

Finnish government pulls funding for the Guggenheim Helsinki

2016-09-08T13:16:00-04:00

The Guggenheim Foundation's Helsinki museum, the design of which was chosen after a hotly anticipated competition last year, is now missing a major financial backer, namely, the government of Finland. Prior to its withdrawal, Finland was going to pick up construction costs and a portion of the operating fees in exchange for top-tier artworks and exhibitions from the Guggenheim.

However, this pull-out isn't entirely unexpected. Before the winning design by Moreau Kusunoki Architectes was even chosen, there were rumblings of dissent: many in Finland felt that the Guggenheim was becoming a bland franchise, to the point that an alternative competition, "The Next Helsinki," was launched to solicit other designs. As Sampo Terho, parliamentary head of the Finns Party, said, “This is the end of the matter, we have ruled out state funding (for Guggenheim) once and for all, for this government.”

Listen to our interview with Moreau Kusunoki Architectes about their winning design for the Guggen...

Parisian Exports and Silicon Valley Imports on Episode #37 of Archinect Sessions

2015-07-09T19:17:00-04:00

Our episode this week revolves around Paris – city of lights, riots, artists and cheese-shaped skyscrapers (or at least, those are the bits were talking about). As part of a nationwide strike against UberPop, the cheapest Uber-affiliate in France, taxi drivers in Paris launched a riotous protest on June 25, terrorizing Uber drivers and generally disrupting Parisians in transit (and Courtney Love).

Contention (albeit the nonviolent kind) also arose in response to Herzog & de Meuron's new Tour Triangle skyscraper, which Paris officials approved on June 30. It will be the city's first skyscraper since the much-maligned Tour Montparnasse was built in 1973, precipitating a height limit on new buildings (that has since been relaxed). Critics are unhappy about the Triangle's intrusion onto the Parisian skyline, and its inhospitable-looking atmosphere on the street level.

Paul also shares his conversation with Guggenheim Helsinki winners Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki, following up on ...

Editor's Picks #422

2015-07-06T13:40:00-04:00

Nicholas Korody interviewed Andrés Jacque (of the Office for Political Innovation ) about COSMO, the winning entry of this year’s MoMA PS1 Young Architect’s Program competition. Therein he argued "I believe that the architect’s role nowadays can also be providing alternatives, and enriching through diversity the collective catalogue of desirable possibilities."

Thayer-D commented "I don't think this qualifies as architecture, but it's very interesting" to which Kozumelle responded "I have seen this in person and it is not architecture in the strictest sense but still a wonderful, fantastic idea. Jaque's ideas are always politically charged and veer into other territories and he does it well."

Plus, for Screen/Print #34 Amelia Taylor-Hochberg featured the latest edition of KTISMA , from the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts.

News
The Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition selected Paris-based Moreau Kusunoki Architectes as the grand-prize winners.

midlander likes...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Sisu"

2015-06-26T13:02:00-04:00

"Sisu" is a Finnish word, describing a trait with no precise English translation, but conveyed through the following qualities: stoic determination, bravery, guts, resilience, perseverance and hardiness. It is a quality strongly associated with Finnish identity, from a history of being bullied geopolitically by neighbors Russia and Sweden, and the paralyzingly cold, dark winters. According to its robust English-language Wikipedia entry, "Sisu is about taking action against the odds and displaying courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity. Deciding on a course of action and then sticking to that decision against repeated failures is Sisu. It is similar to equanimity, with the addition of a grim quality of stress management."

I first came across "sisu" in the Glossary on Free Cooper Union's website, a compendium resource of the protest movement against the school's decision to begin charging tuition. The "sisu" entry is accompanied by a definition adapted from Wikipedia, and wh...

Who are Helsinki Guggenheim winners Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki?

2015-06-25T09:33:00-04:00

Before yesterday's announcement that Moreau Kusunoki Architectes had won the highly contentious and big-budget Guggenheim Helsinki competition, the firm wasn't much used to the spotlight. Querying Google Trends for "Moreau Kusunoki" preceding the Guggenheim news, the firm barely blips twice since the husband-wife duo, Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki, began their practice in 2011. Before now, the highest instance of search traffic was in December of 2014, when the six finalists for the competition were announced. Their website's "info" section currently includes only contact information.

After having won such a high-profile competition, the firm had to make some kind of statement of its architectural perspective, and revealed that their media silence was highly intentional, as "architecture is best conceived in reserve and introspection, which are favorable to the emergence of poetic visions." Or at least so states their firm bio, released as part of the press packet for the Guggen...

A black museum for "The White City of the North": Moreau Kusunoki Architectes selected to design Guggenheim Helsinki

2015-06-23T13:29:00-04:00

One year and 1,715 entries later, the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition has selected Paris-based Moreau Kusunoki Architectes as the grand-prize winners today for their design, "Art in the City". In recent years, the Foundation's plans for building a new Guggenheim in Helsinki prompted lively debate among local residents and architects worldwide alike, including the launch of the Next Helsinki counter-competition that wondered whether Helsinki even needs a Guggenheim Museum.

But just like the whirlwind of discussions around the project, the competition itself is just as memorable: Stage One reeled in an astounding 1,715 anonymously submitted entries from around the world last fall, attracting a variety of designs ranging from the safer-yet-promising to the bolder-but-downright wacky. By the start of Stage Two this past January, only six teams – whose team names remained unidentified – made the cut. Over the following months, each finalist team received additional briefing to deve...

Guggenheim director Richard Armstrong talks Helsinki, Abu Dhabi, New York

2015-06-16T17:15:00-04:00

We spoke to Richard Armstrong, the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, on the eve of the exhibition Guggenheim Helsinki Now: Six Finalist Designs Unveiled at the Kunsthalle Helsinki [...] So the Guggenheim Helsinki will really happen? Come June we will say which architect seems best for the job; then there has to be a vote in city council again [...]. So there are still a few legislative hurdles ahead, but I would predict yes. It’s irresistible.

Did you submit one of the record-shattering 1,715 entries to the Guggenheim Helsinki competition and think it's worth presenting to the wider Archinect audience? Check out the related Archinect Project Collections list to see other user contributions and learn how to get yours listed, too.

Editor's Picks #414

2015-05-06T14:00:00-04:00

Nicholas Korody profiled GRNASFCK, an experimental landscape studio. Therein they explained "We travel to places of material action, geologically leaky locations, where the evidence of disturbance, but also creation, is evident...While we see our narratives as a version of a field report, it seems important to acknowledge ourselves as emotional, human agents. In this way we are equally inspired by Hunter S. Thompson, John McPhee, and Chris Kraus".

Plus following last month’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake, Julia Ingalls reviewed How Architects Can Help Nepal (And Learn From Past Disastrous Mistakes/Successes). Will Galloway stopped by and provided some insight into post-tsunami redevelopment in Tohoku

"The trick is to still be there and still be engaged 2 years or 4 years or 5 years later, when communities are finally ready to build...Now is really the time for architects to act, to help build a sustainable community. But we blew our wad on sexy stuff in the early days, and anyway the news...

Get a glimpse of the Guggenheim Helsinki Stage Two finalist proposals

2015-04-27T20:33:00-04:00

The big announcement of the winning Guggenheim Helsinki concept is only weeks away, so start making those predictions now. In the meantime, the Stage Two proposals of the six finalists have been revealed.

Throughout Stage Two, the teams worked on further developing their initial concepts for final submission. On that note, the finalist teams are AGPS Architecture Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland; Los Angeles, USA); Asif Khan Ltd. (London, United Kingdom); Fake Industries Architectural Agonism (New York, USA; Barcelona, Spain; Sydney, Australia); Haas Cook Zemmrich STUDIO2050 (Stuttgart, Germany); Moreau Kusunoki Architectes (Paris, France); and SMAR Architecture Studio (Madrid, Spain; Western Australia).

Although the teams have been named, they'll remain unmatched to their Guggenheim Helsinki proposals until the winning announcement in June. Check out the proposals below:

↓ GH-121371443 (concept boards)

↓ GH-76091181

↓ GH-5631681770

↓ GH-5059206475

↓ GH-1128435973

↓ GH-04380895

This past January,...

The Next Helsinki shortlist demonstrates that a new Guggenheim isn't the only option

2015-04-21T18:02:00-04:00

The controversy surrounding the Guggenheim Helsinki has made the project a hot topic in recent years. While the large response to the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition is already widely known, is a new Guggenheim Museum truly what Helsinki needs? This is the burning question of The Next Helsinki counter-competition organizers, who describe the Guggenheim franchise as "the cultural equivalent of Starbucks". Organized by Checkpoint Helsinki, Terreform and G.U.L.F. (Global Ultra Luxury Faction), architects, designers, urbanists, and environmentalists worldwide submitted their alternative ideas on how the site can be transformed to best meet Helsinki's cultural, spatial, and sustainability needs.

The call for ideas drew in 217 international entries from 40 countries on five continents, according to architect Michael Sorkin, who chaired the jury. In the end, the jury shortlisted eight entries they deemed as outstanding ideas -- which are not necessarily refined and final proposals. (...

Guggenheim to host "Competing Intelligence" Digital Architecture Masterclass this Saturday

2015-03-04T20:40:00-05:00

Mark your calendars, The Guggenheim is hosting a free one-day "Competing Intelligence" Digital Architecture Masterclass this Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All current architecture students and recent graduates (from within the past five years) in the New York metro area are encouraged to join!

This experiment will bring together human and artificial intelligence in evaluating design, as an interactive way to test the limits of artificial intelligence in an architectural context, specifically in the architecture competition. To make things even more interesting, the Stage One entries of the popular Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition will be used as the data set.

The one-day workshop will be led by Hugo Liu, principal scientist at eBay and a Ph.D. holder from the MIT Media Lab, and Troy Conrad Therrien, who is the curator of the Architecture and Digital Initiatives.

Results will be showcased in the forthcoming Guggenheim Helsinki Now exhibition at the Kunsthalle Helsinki a...

Guggenheim Helsinki finalists begin last leg of the competition

2015-01-12T02:00:00-05:00

The six Guggenheim Helsinki finalists shortlisted early last month will begin Stage Two of the highly debated competition with a visit to the museum site in Helsinki from January 14-16 as they start further development on their current proposals for final submission this April.

The names of the finalists have been revealed, but will not be matched to their proposals until the winner is announced in June 2015. The winning team will receive a prize of €100,000 (approx. US$136,000), while each runner-up will receive €55,000 (approx. US$75,000)

The finalists are:

AGPS Architecture Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland; Los Angeles, USA)
Asif Khan Ltd. (London, United Kingdom)
Fake Industries Architectural Agonism (New York, USA; Barcelona, Spain; Sydney, Australia)
Haas Cook Zemmrich STUDIO2050 (Stuttgart, Germany)
Moreau Kusunoki Architectes (Paris, France)
SMAR Architecture Studio (Madrid, Spain; Western Australia)

During the two-day visit, finalists will meet with the competition jury and Guggenheim Foun...

Editor's Picks #400

2015-01-06T11:52:00-05:00

For the latest Student Works: Amelia featured Cellular Tessellation, a pavilion done as a "collaborative research effort among students from Bond University, University of Technology Sydney, University of South Wales, and University of Sydney" for the Sydney Vivid Light festival of 2014.

Plus, Alexander Showcase:(ed) architect Jorge Mealha’s Óbidos Technological Park Main Building, sited in the countryside north of Lisbon.

News

Paul scoured the archives and website analytics in an attempt to most accurately represent 2014, month by month, by sharing the most popular stories, job opportunities and discussions. Reflecting on digital publishing trends he noted

"As the internet continues to move discussions away from publications to social networks, Archinect's increase in volume in the forum and comments sections proves that we're continuing to provide a platform to facilitate communication across diverse social circles".

Meanwhile, Nicholas Korody put together a list of what Randy Deutsc...

Archinect Project Collections presents your Guggenheim Helsinki proposals!

2014-12-30T19:37:00-05:00

One of 2014's most popular news item was the announcement of Stage One of the not uncontroversial Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition.

With a mind-boggling pool of over 1,700 Stage One entries (and one Idaho potato) from 77 countries, it's tough to grant each proposal an appropriate platform and audience — so we created a new exciting Archinect feature: Project Collections!

Over the past few weeks, many of you had already followed our call to share your own submissions as project posts directly on your Archinect people or firm profiles, and Project Collections has them now all accessible in one handy Guggenheim Helsinki list.

Haven't submitted your entry yet? Worry not — the collection is an ongoing effort and new matches are constantly being added to the list.

TO SHARE YOUR GUGGENHEIM HELSINKI SUBMISSION:

Simply submit your entries as project posts to your Archinect profile. Don't have a profile yet? Click here if you're a firm, or here if you're an individual.

We're adding entries t...

BUSTLER’S CALL FOR ENTRIES: Share your Guggenheim Helsinki Stage One proposals!

2014-12-10T11:18:00-05:00

If you've been following the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition, Stage One attracted an astounding 1,715 entries from 77 countries. However, only six of those entries made it as finalists to proceed to Stage Two, which will begin in the early months of 2015. With that said, we know many of you that participated in the competition want to share what you submitted.

Unless you happened to look through all 1,715 submissions (did you really, though), wouldn't you want to see more of the designs that your fellow participants around the world had in mind?

TO SHARE YOUR STAGE ONE SUBMISSION: You will have to create an Archinect people or firm profile. Just click the "Log in/Join" button on the left-hand side in the black navigation bar.

If you already have an Archinect profile, you're one step ahead. Simply log into your account and upload your submission to your Project Portfolio. Don't have a Project Portfolio yet? Click here to get started.

As more entries are uploaded, we will continuously highlight the ones that pique our interest. (On that note, we would honestly love to learn more about the submission used as the cover image here.)

Architecture's expensive taste: Weekly News Round-Up for December 1, 2014

2014-12-08T17:45:00-05:00

Friday, December 5:

William B. Callaway, noted Bay Area landscape architect at SWA Group, dies: He is survived by his four children and wife, Barbara Meacham. A memorial will be held in January.

Thursday, December 4:

How architecture is helping make Arcadia a magnet for Chinese money: LA Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne unpacks the changing style of residential architecture in southern-California's San Gabriel Valley, built to appeal to wealthy Chinese immigrants.

Wednesday, December 3:

NCARB announces reciprocity program across the US, Canada and Mexico: Qualified, licensed architects from the U.S., Mexico or Canada can now apply for a credential to work within any of those countries. The so-called "Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement for International Practice of Architecture" was born of the 1994 NAFTA Agreement.
Deborah Berke's design for new Cummins distribution HQ is unveiled: Berke beat out Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and SHoP Architects when chosen fo...

The six Guggenheim Helsinki finalists are announced

2014-12-02T13:12:00-05:00

December 2 marks the day that the six finalists of the Guggenheim Helsinki competition are revealed. The controversial competition has sparked enough debate in the architecture + design community that a counter-competition called The Next Helsinki is currently having their own call for alternative solutions. Stage One reeled in an entertaining mix of 1,715 entries from 77 countries.

The 11-member jury, who convened for four days last month, were tasked with selecting the proposals that show the most potential for developing into outstanding designs during Stage Two.

Here are the six finalists:

More details about them on Bustler.

Previously: What do you think of the Guggenheim Helsinki Stage One entries?

Guggenheim Names Troy Conrad Therrien as Curator of Architecture and Digital Initiatives

2014-11-10T14:14:00-05:00

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation announced today that Troy Conrad Therrien will join the institution as curator of architecture and digital initiatives, a new position. Therrien has worked on exhibitions at the Berlage Institute, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Columbia University, MoMA PS1, and the New Museum. The museum’s press release says, “A major and immediate component of Therrien’s work will be related to the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition.

Editor's Picks #391

2014-10-30T23:30:00-04:00

In Screen/Print #26: an interview with Jessica Walsh, currently half of design firm Sagmeister & Walsh , was excerpted, from the 2nd issue of Intern Magazine (devoted to "intern culture" in the creative industries).

Darkman was confused "Strange choice to interview the most hated designer in the world for Intern magazine...She almost brags about not paying interns...Reads like PR I've already read". Similarly Mr_Wiggin wrote "seems, to me, diametric to the message Intern Magazine should be publishing".

Malaysia-born Melbourne-based sculptor Daniel Dorall spoke with Archinect for the latest installment of Working out of the Box. He finished up his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Melbourne in 2005, as he explains that now

"In a nutshell, I make miniature objects out of cardboard – it usually takes the form of the maze...creating walk through maze-installations". midlander felt the work was "Fantastic! Witty and meticulous".

News
Anthony Morey attended Acadia Conference of 20...

A Chat with the Architect who Invented the Hoverboard: Episode 4 of Archinect Sessions out now!

2014-10-30T11:08:00-04:00

This week, Paul, Amelia, Donna and Ken speak with architect Greg Henderson about his hoverboarding technology, and its potential applications in architecture. Greg's architectural background led us to discuss the history of Working Out of the Box, and what may come next for the series, now that employers have more jobs than there are architects to fill them.

We also consider the problematics of the Helsinki Guggenheim's Stage One entries, and whether Gehry's bird flipping makes him into a crotchety old man or defiant punk.

Listen to episode four of the Archinect Sessions podcast, "A Chat with the Architect Who Invented the Hoverboard":

iTunes: Click here to subscribe, and click the "Subscribe" button below the logo to automatically download new episodes.
Apple Podcast App (iOS): click here to subscribe
SoundCloud: click here to follow Archinect
RSS: subscribe with any of your favorite podcasting apps via our RSS feed: http://archinect.libsyn.com/rss
Download: this episode

Shownotes:

Greg He...

Law breakers, prize winners, bird flippers: Weekly News Round-Up for October 20, 2014

2014-10-27T17:53:00-04:00

Friday, October 24:

Architecture in Flux: Reporting from ACADIA Conference, Day 1: The Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture has changed a lot since its inception in the early 1980s; the conference takes a look at the present moment of "digital design" practice, while that term still exists.

Thursday, October 23:

Frank Gehry gives the crowd a piece of his mind (and his middle finger): At a press conference in Oviedo, Spain, in response to a reporter's insinuation that his architecture was "showy". Frank Gehry is 85 years old.
Keep Portland Architecture Weird!: Episode 3 of Archinect Sessions out now: Feat. special guest Brian Libby, we discuss the trials and tribulations of Michael Graves' Portland Building, and The Guardian's speculations on Obama's presidential library.
Denver's Union Station is lacking diversity and local critic places the blame on the architecture: The Denver Post's fine arts critic sees a lack of diversity at Union Station's multi-use redesign, and...

What do you think of the Guggenheim Helsinki Stage One entries?

2014-10-22T19:25:00-04:00

Stage One of the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition reeled in a whopping 1,715 entries from 77 countries. Although the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation officially launched the competition this past summer, the idea of proposing a new Guggenheim Museum for the city of Helsinki has already stirred plenty of debate...Most of the entries received were from the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and of course, Finland.

We picked out a few fairly promising submissions and more, uh, interesting ones.

Check out more of our picks and other details on Bustler.

The Next Helsinki counter-competition launches in response to Guggenheim Helsinki controversy

2014-09-09T21:07:00-04:00

On the same day that Stage One of the Guggenheim Helsinki competition will conclude, The Next Helsinki is launching their own international call for alternative solutions to attract the best ideas that they believe would better meet the needs and enhance the city of Helsinki, Finland. Launched by a group of independent arts organizations and chaired by Michael Sorkin, The Next Helsinki bluntly addresses the controversy that the Guggenheim Helsinki competition has sparked [...].

Below is The Next Helsinki announcement:

"Coinciding with the end of the official competition for the design of the controversial Guggenheim Helsinki, a group of independent arts organizations has issued a call for submissions for alternative ideas. This competition—titled The Next Helsinki—is designed to attract innovative ideas about how to more fully meet the city’s cultural, spatial, and sustainability needs.

Following the success of the Guggenheim Bilbao in transforming that region’s tourist economy, many city managers have been seduced by the fantasy that a high-concept museum, designed by a starchitect, will turn around its urban fortunes in a similar way. Advocates of this branding formula see Helsinki as an ideal candidate for a new Guggenheim franchise. Yet the proposal has generated a surprisingly heated public debate among Finland’s citizenry, with pro and anti-Guggenheim sentiment running high.

The Next Helsinki competition aims to elevate the debate by giving voice to b...

Helsinki Divided on Plan for a Guggenheim Satellite

2014-07-15T13:12:00-04:00

City boosters in this Nordic capital dream of a Guggenheim museum of Finnish wood rising near the Baltic Sea and one day drawing millions of tourists and cruise passengers. But the huge costs of the proposed development are stirring a backlash here against an institution that is ordinarily accustomed to eager suitors.

Previously: Helsinki city council reserves plot for Guggenheim

Helsinki city council reserves plot for Guggenheim

2014-01-13T15:29:00-05:00

Now that Helsinki has decided to reserve a plot in the South Harbour, the Guggenheim Foundation can organize and fund an international architecture competition for a potential Helsinki museum location.

Previously: Another Step Toward a Guggenheim in Helsinki