Lopes Brenna
The new A-D museum building is placed at the point of contact between the urban trace of helsinki and the promontory’s orography towards the south.
The building, that looks to the sea, defines a clear urban moment – of land and water – made of wide spaces intended for meeting, market and of docking areas.
Respectively, towards the south, the ‘saaret’ project brings together the green areas of Kaivopuisto promontory and the water line.
Our proposal starts from here and from the will to find in this condition its own urban and territorial definition and integration.
The building is defined first by the tracing of two facades. The first, north facing, uses the maximum dimension in width (49 m), looks at the market, the town hall, the cathedral and the city; defines a large square and welcomes visitors in a covered external space placed at the closest corner from the sea. The second facade, south facing, is defined by a minimum dimension (5m), it develops vertically, looks at the Tähtitorninvuori puisto and the orography of the promontory; it relates to the upcoming buildings of ‘saaret’ and its new urban space.
The building starts from the north and develops towards the south… or vice versa. The geometry of the city on one side, the orography of the promontory on the other.
The development of the project, in this second stage of the competition, aims to respond as best as possible to the critical issues expressed by the jury in a coherent way to the key characteristics of the architectural and territorial concept.
The new volume, in addition to being overall lower, has been redefined in its longitudinal profile according to the same principle used for the tracing in the plan. From the facade facing the square, the volume descends towards the south, strengthening its vocation as a linking element between the city and the park. The new silhouette of the building becomes a gentle line on which the continuous profile of the park, that becomes a city, lies.
Now from the large terrace you can also see the german church of helsinki and enjoy a better sun exposure even in the late afternoon or evening.
Following the same principle as the internal spaces, the outside space of the museum allows different appropriations.
The square can be used for museum and skateholders events and promotions, while providing a multipurpose public space.
The facade facing laivasillankatu reinforces its character due to the facade’s urban strength and the connection on the ground floor with the internal program.
Towards the saaret, a tree shadowed area, provides the atmosphere for cafe-restaurant outdoor tables and external pop-ups for stakeholders and museum promotion.
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