Helsinki-based JKMM Architects have won the international competition to design the new Museum of Architecture and Design. Their design was called Kumma, which will create a waterfront museum to showcase Finland’s unique culture of architecture and design. Their proposal was chosen from 624 entries submitted from around the world, which will be built on a plot adjacent to the Guggenheim Helsinki on the South Harbour. It is adjacent to the central market and close to Alvar Aalto’s Sugar Cube and the Orthodox and Lutheran Cathedrals. The scheme includes a new 10,050 sqm volume that blends with the urban fabric while asserting a clear public identity.
The design aim of JKMM Architects is to build a flexible and inclusive cultural landmark which welcomes visitors. It is designed such that it stands out in its surroundings while complementing the scale of the neighbouring buildings. The building design emphasises openness and adaptability and offers spaces for learning, research and collaboration. The interiors are highly flexible and multifunctional, which helps accommodate exhibitions, workshops, and events to maintain a welcoming and accessible atmosphere. The building will use recycled brickwork of light off-white colour and feature terraces that open up to the sea, creating a strong link between the museum and the city. The massing of the building scheme is low-lying and has a sculptural profile with inclined faces and divided masses.
The building Museum of Architecture and Design Helsinki will integrate architecture, landscape and community services, becoming a flexible, inclusive and accessible civic hub. The museum will host exhibition spaces, an archive with over 9 lakh artefacts, a design library, a public rooftop terrace, and international exhibitions of high calibre. The museum focuses on the mission to provide a design culture with more relevant challenges faced by people by democratising the tools of design. The exhibition floor extends to a large sea-facing terrace that will continue to be an outdoor gallery and balcony by inviting people in and making the museum a lively meeting place. The museum is set to open in 2030, and the design will be further developed with the help of experts, museum professionals and the public. It will also include works by Aino and Alvar Alto, to name a few, with contemporary brands such as Marimekko, Nokia and Fiskars.
The main key requirement of the competition was sustainability, wherein Helsinki aimed for carbon neutrality by 2030. JKMM’s proposal incorporated climate-based smart solutions, which were praised for their ecological and social responsiveness. To serve as a future benchmark for sustainable and inclusive design, the Museum of Architecture and Design will embody Finland’s global reputation. The museum will bring the collections of the Museum of Architecture and Design Helsinki together by creating Europe’s most important cultural centres for both architecture and design.
Citations:
- JKMM Wins Helsinki Museum Competition with a Project to “Democratize the Tools of Design” (2025) Archilovers. Available at: https://www.archilovers.com/stories/30692/jkmm-wins-helsinki-museum-competition-with-a-project-to-democratize-the-tools-of-design.html#:~:text=JKMM%20Architects%20has%20won%20the,culture%20in%20a%20contemporary%20way(Accessed: 19 September 2025).
- JKMM Architects Wins Competition to Design Finland’s New Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki (2025) Archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/1034045/jkmm-architects-wins-competition-to-design-finlands-new-museum-of-architecture-and-design-in-helsinki (Accessed: 19 September 2025).
- JKMM architects wins competition to design Finland’s museum of architecture and design (2025) Designboom. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/jkmm-architects-finland-new-museum-architecture-design-helsinki-09-11-2025/(Accessed: 19 September 2025).
- JKMM wins competition for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design (2025) Archinect. Available at: https://archinect.com/news/bustler/10635/jkmm-wins-competition-for-finnish-museum-of-architecture-and-design(Accessed: 19 September 2025).
- Meet the newly appointed architects of Finland’s Museum of Architecture and Design (2025) Wallpaper. Available at: https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/museum-of-architecture-and-design-jkmm-win-helsinki-finland (Accessed: 19 September 2025).
- Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design (2025) Divisare. Available at: https://divisare.com/projects/540311-jkmm-architects-finland-s-new-museum-of-architecture-and-design(Accessed: 19 September 2025).
- JKMM Architects wins competition to design Museum of Architecture and Design Helsinki (2025) Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2025/09/12/museum-of-architecture-and-design-helsinki-jkmm-architects-finland/ (Accessed: 19 September 2025).
