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 Guggenheim Helsinki from a previously recorded episode of Archinect Sessions...
For more on the Guggenheim Helsinki:
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"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."
This is untrue. The Finnish govt has never agreed to pick up construction costs, or a portion of the operating fees. In fact, the local govt in Helsinki had already voted to not finance this project, which is why it was being discussed at all. The only 'news' relates to a couple of weeks ago, when one govt minister was quoted as saying that the matter MIGHT BE discussed. This led to another govt minister stating very firmly that as long as his party was in government the country would not be financing the project.
The whole project has been rejected twice. Helsinki locals are vocally opposed to it, about 60/40, local govt is opposed to it, and now it has been completely ruled out at a national level. Unfortunately, some of those who are in favour are also journalists, which leads to the international community thinking this is an actual issue. It isn't. In 2017 the reserve that Guggenheim has on the site will lapse.
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