Guggenheim Issues Global Call For Entries In Design Competition For New Proposed Museum In Helsinki

-- Stage One Open to Architects June 4-September 10, 2014

-- Distinguished Jury to Choose Finalists and Select Winning Proposal in First Open Competition to Design a Guggenheim Museum

NEW YORK, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With launch events on June 4 and 5, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has formally called for entries to begin its open, international architectural competition for the design of a proposed Guggenheim museum on the South Harbor of Helsinki. The keenly anticipated two-stage competition is expected to draw submissions from firms and individuals around the world.

This is the first time that the Guggenheim Foundation, long recognized for commissioning transformational works of architecture, has sought a design through an open competition. It is embarking on this new course in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in Europe, located at the intersection of East and West and respected internationally for its heritage of modern architecture and design.

More than 700 inquiries about participation were received from people around the world even before the official start of the competition.

Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, announced details of the competition at a media conference held on June 4 in Helsinki and will introduce the competition to the international architectural community at a reception on June 5 at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, coinciding with the opening of the 14th International Architecture Biennale.

"It is essential to the Guggenheim's mission to engage directly with people throughout the world, to affirm the transformative potential of art, and to fuse the experience of contemporary art with great architecture," Mr. Armstrong stated. "This competition advances all of those goals, with the aim of inspiring an exemplary museum of the twenty-first century that is also a meaningful addition to the landscape of Helsinki."

The Guggenheim is organizing the competition in consultation with the City of Helsinki, the State of Finland, and the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA). The competition is managed by the London-based firm Malcolm Reading Consultants. Notice of the competition will be published in accordance with European Union procurement regulations.

Rules and Schedule of the Competition

Anonymous submissions for Stage One of the competition are due by September 10, 2014. An eleven-member jury will meet in Helsinki and select six finalists, who will be announced in November 2014. During Stage Two, the shortlisted firms will have until March 2015 to make their detailed submissions. After the jury meets again in Helsinki, the Guggenheim will announce the winner in June 2015. The winner of the competition will be awarded €100,000 (approximately $136,000) and the five runner-ups will each receive €55,000 (approximately $75,000).

The City of Helsinki and the State of Finland are expected to deliberate on whether to proceed with the construction and development of the museum after the competition concludes.

The public and interested architects are invited to visit designguggenheimhelsinki.org.

Competition Jury

The members of the jury have been selected by the Guggenheim, the State of Finland, the City of Helsinki, and SAFA. The jurors are:

• Mark Wigley, professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University (jury chair)
• Mikko Aho, Director of City Planning and architect, City of Helsinki
• Jeanne Gang, founder and architect, Studio Gang Architects
• Juan Herreros, founder and architect, Herreros Arquitectos
• Anssi Lassila, partner and architect, Lassila Hirvilammi
• Erkki Leppävuori, President and CEO, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• Rainer Mahlamäki, professor and architect, Lahdelma & Mahlamäki
• 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 and architect, Atelier Bow-Wow
• Ritva Viljanen, Deputy Mayor, City of Helsinki

Richard Armstrong will attend the jury's deliberations in an honorary, non-voting capacity.

Support for the Competition

The competition is made possible by the Guggenheim Helsinki Supporting 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.

About the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The Guggenheim network that began in the 1970s when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, was joined by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, has since expanded to include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (opened 1997) and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (currently in development). More information about the Foundation can be found at guggenheim.org.