For the Guggenheim Helsinki to become a local and international destination, it must engage the city’s distinct seasonality, going beyond the conventional galleries-and-atrium typology to invite the public to participate, day and night, throughout the seasons.

The building consists of two contrasting “houses.” The Jäätalo (“Ice House”) is a glowing lantern on the Harbour. Its climate, programming, and occupancy change with the seasons. The Puutalo (“Wood House”) is climatically constant, and contains traditional galleries, and performance, education, and support spaces. Cafe, retail, and ticketing occupy the intersection of the two volumes, with an overlook restaurant above.

Building on the principle of Jokamiehenoikeus (“Everyman’s Right”)—the freedom to roam—the Jäätalo houses a Great Hall. A space of passage, a destination for art and spectacle, and a gateway to the museum’s deeper programming, this free public space integrates the museum into the urban flows of the Eteläsatama and the city beyond.