Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition Finalists Unveiled

- Six Shortlisted Concept Designs Offer New Perspectives on Museum Architecture and Represent Both Emerging and Established Practices

HELSINKI, Finland, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation announced today that an independent, 11-member jury has unanimously selected six concept designs as finalists from the 1,715 anonymous submissions to the international architectural competition for a proposed Guggenheim museum in Helsinki, Finland. The shortlisted entries represent both emerging and established architectural practices in seven countries and offer fresh and distinctive approaches to museum design and to the changing role of the twenty-first-century museum.

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Full details and descriptions of the six finalists are now available at designguggenheimhelsinki.org/finalists.

In accordance with European Union procurement rules, the names of the competitors were not known to the jury, which identified all submissions only by a registration number: GH-76091181, GH-5631681770, GH-04380895, GH-121371443, GH-1128435973, GH-5059206475. While the names of the six teams are now public, the designs have not been matched to the teams, nor will the jurors or public know which team is responsible for which design until the winner has been selected.

In alphabetical order, the finalist teams are:

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

Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, said, "The jury has chosen six deeply thoughtful design approaches, each of which opens extraordinary possibilities for a Guggenheim in Helsinki. We thank everyone who has contributed to this conversation so far—from the 1,715 competitors who created engaging and diverse submissions to the 200,000 people who have visited the competition website."

Mark Wigley, Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation of Columbia University, serves as chair of the competition jury. The other jurors are Mikko Aho, Director of City Planning and Architect, City of Helsinki; Jeanne Gang, Founder and Principal, Studio Gang Architects; Juan Herreros, Founder and Principal, Estudio Herreros; Anssi Lassila, Architect and Founder, OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture; Erkki Leppävuori, President and CEO, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland; Rainer Mahlamäki, Professor and Founder, Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects; Helena Säteri, Director General, Ministry of the Environment, Finland; Nancy Spector, Deputy Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation; Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, Founder, Atelier Bow-Wow; and Ritva Viljanen, Deputy Mayor, City of Helsinki.

Wigley said, "Each of the finalists offers a distinctive and original way to create new public space for Helsinki, and each challenges the Guggenheim to develop unprecedented models of museum programming. All of the shortlisted designs are a compelling first step, and we eagerly look forward to seeing how they are more fully explored in the next stage of the competition."

Helsinki mayor Jussi Pajunen said, "The designs provide a good understanding of the vast potential of the South Harbor site. I am also excited by the lively discussion regarding the role of architecture in city development. I express my appreciation to the organizers and the jury for all the work that has been done to reach this phase and identify the finalists."

Finalist designs and a selection of honorable mentions will be presented in a public exhibition in Helsinki in spring 2015. The winning design will be announced in June 2015, with an award of €100,000 (approximately $136,000) for the first-place team and €55,000 (approximately $75,000) for each runner-up.

The Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition is managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants, London.

Support for the Competition
The Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition is made possible by the Guggenheim Helsinki Supporting Foundation, Swedish Cultural Foundation, Guggenheim Helsinkiin Association, Louise och Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation, and private individuals who wish to remain anonymous, with special thanks to the BMW Group for its support.

More Information

Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation: guggenheim.org
Competition website: designguggenheimhelsinki.org
Project website: guggenheimhki.fi