The design of the new Guggenheim for Helsinki is a study in counterpoints: between the more traditional values of Finland and the more progressive values of Helsinki, between materials and between technologies. Contrast is also explored through the three distinct architectural components that make up the project, The Grand Hall (cluster of galleries), The Spine Gallery and The Black Box.

Key design elements of openness and porosity permeate the complex referencing Nordic ideals. The design acts not as a barrier, but as a filter. Visual access to, from and through the site is always maintained. The museum is an integral part of the waterfront, the scale, proportion and placement of the building components is in keeping with the neighboring buildings. The Northern portion of the site is a public plaza, an inviting social space that draws people from the city center preserving the relationship with the surrounding area. The new Guggenheim functions as an urban connector, extending the city limits to the water’s edge and uniting the historic center with the park Tähtitornin vuori. The design maintains access to the harbor and allows 1/3 of the site to be retained by the public as open greenspace.

The museum is comprised of three entities, the Grand Hall is a cluster of 14 exhibition spaces, the Black Box contains the public functions of the project and the Spine Gallery is the conduit that ties everything together.

The Grand Hall envelops various galleries within a larger volume. Interstitial spaces allow natural light to filter through the mass and into the common areas while framing views to the exterior. A central circulation spire moves up through the mass, creating an open, dynamic 5 story void within the clusters of volumes. The museum incorporates reconfigurable spaces for optimum flexibility to accommodate exhibition space, educational programs, lectures, special events and the fostering of groundbreaking works.

The Black Box references Finish Modernism with its rugged timber exterior and contains all the public functions of the facility. Located at the Northern portion of the site, the Black Box is both solid and transparent. The transparency of the building envelope has a direct relationship to the specific internal program and the direct external connection / exposure to the city and harbor.

The Spine Gallery is a connector that unifies all of the elements and differentiates the public and private entities. The horizontal gallery serves as a grand foyer into the main museum space and to the adjacent sculpture garden courtyard. The omnipresent water and greenspace are integral to the building design. The Spine Gallery’s public roof garden serves as connective tissue between the public plaza to the North and the park Tähtitornin vuori to the south.

The contrasts inherent in the design, including the investigations of volume and mass versus openness and porosity, references to Finish modernism versus an architecture that portends the future and the use of raw materials such as concrete and heavy timber used in tandem with advanced material applications and fabrication methods all combine to heighten the visitors’ experience. The Guggenheim for Helisinki is an outstanding example of forward-thinking architecture, making the Guggenheim an important cultural resource for Helsinki and, more importantly, a world-class museum.