FaR + roula gholmieh fabricate spatial experience of guggenheim helsinki

FaR + roula gholmieh fabricate spatial experience of guggenheim helsinki
all images courtesy of FaR architects and roula gholmieh

‘by taking the public space and delivering it in a different way, we create an exchange that threads the public into the museum, using all the surfaces for defining the play of the institution with its environment and immediate context. we’re trying to bring park culture, port culture, city culture and museum culture together,’ say FaR architects and roula gholmieh in regards to their ‘I am the guggenheim’ project for the world renowned museum’s helsinki design competition.

the finnish forest atrium offers a space for large artwork installations and performances

located in etelasatama at the edge of the city, the glass façade enables a visual play between structure and nature in response to the tahtitornin vuori park, both unifying and separating the gardens from the vehicular tracks. the trees from the forest atrium read behind the transparency of the exterior, adding ambiguity to the transition from outside to inside. a bridge from the park pierces through the building alongside the mechanical wall to catch the sea side passerelles.

the building is sectional with the extension of the glass facades, opening up to the harbor functions in a technical towers 

a walk from the market alongside the water deck takes the visitor on a journey up the structure to reach the rooftop restaurant of the technical tower. the facility is set back on the north opening up a public esplanade that takes you to the main entrance of the museum, under a kinetic urban office façade.

view from sea 

the institution takes into account the obsolescence of interactive technologies and creates an open infrastructure that allows for the museum to be flexible in order to accommodate for artistic and technological unpredictability. this is made possible by large beams, which span the whole width of the interior. it is composed of a system of plugged in programs of exhibitions, theater, education, and various production functions. gallery modules are fabricated with local timber, including adjustable louvers around the displays.

the visitor can interact with various moments of the museum from the outdoor sea side passerelle

ground floor plan 

longitudinal section 

concept diagram 

exploded axonometric

project info:

title: I am the guggenheim
location: helsinki, finland
client: guggenheim helsinki
type: competition
architects: FaR architects and roula gholmieh
design team: karine fakhry, roula gholmieh
collaboration: diane sawaya
3D renderings: carl gerges

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.