An 11-member jury representing the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has selected six finalists, from a record-breaking 1,715 submissions, in the contest to design Guggenheim Helsinki in Finland’s capital.
In order to maintain the integrity of the selection process, the names of the finalists won’t be matched with their respective designs (which were submitted anonymously) until next June, when the winner will be announced. The competition allows the finalists to fine-tune their designs up through March 2015.
The finalists are:
• AGPS Architecture Ltd., with offices in Zurich and Los Angeles
• Asif Khan Ltd., in London
• Fake Industries Architectural Agonism, with offices in New York, Barcelona, and Sydney
• Haas Cook Zemmrick STUDIO2050, in Stuttgart
• Moreau Kusunoki Architect, in Paris
• SMAR Architecture Studio, in Madrid and Western Australia
The winning design will be awarded the equivalent of $136,000, and each of the five runners-up will recive $75,000.
In the jury’s statement, its chairman, Mark Wigley, a professor and dean emeritus at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, noted that each finalist “offers a distinctive and original way to create new public space for Helsinki, and each challenges the Guggenheim to develop unprecedented models of museum planning.”
The jury shared some observations about what it liked about each design, and what it was less enamored of:
Entry GH-04380895 was singled out for the way it grouped its pavilions that blended into the city’s fabric, and how it used natural light. The jury was “skeptical” about this design’s roofscape, as well as the placement and size of galleries.
GH-1128435973 was praised for its “internal flexibility and external effect.” Its low form yet pronounced silhouette “was considered particularly interesting.”
GH-121371443 was lauded for its “simple but extraordinary” design that integrated image and technology. However, the jury felt its internal program was “too diagrammatic.”
GH-5059206475, whose design is based on an old store house and uses materials from existing buildings, “creates close relationships with its surrounding.”
GH-5631681770 pays particular attention to public space, and the potential exhibition spaces “were considered authentic.” The jury liked the design’s “non-stereotypical” approach.
GH-76091181 uses timber elegantly, and includes a “memorable” courtyard design “with circuits of independent galleries.” But the jury questioned the use of lifts as well as the galleries’ configurations.
Related Stories
Airports | Sep 10, 2020
The Weekly show: Curtis Fentress, FAIA, on airport design, and how P3s are keeping university projects alive
The September 10 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand.
Architects | Sep 8, 2020
The New City project by Eric Owen Moss Architects receives AIA’s Twenty-five Year Award
AIA’s Twenty-five Year Award is conferred on a building that has set a precedent for the last 25-35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance.
Architects | Sep 1, 2020
An evidenced-based approach to elevate the workplace experience
A new NBBJ report presents design concepts for providing people with opportunities to recharge and engage in the workplace.
K-12 Schools | Sep 1, 2020
The rise of inquiry-based learning in K-12 communities
Inquiry-based education offers a methodology that does not rely solely on the educator being the lead in all learning.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Architects | Aug 27, 2020
Strategically planning your firm past the COVID-19 pandemic
As AEC firm leaders consider worst-case scenarios and explore possible solutions to surmount them, they learn to become nimble, quick, and ready to pivot as circumstances demand.
Digital Twin | Aug 27, 2020
The Weekly show: Digital twin technology and social equity in the AEC market
The August 27 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand.
Architects | Aug 26, 2020
We the People: Four steps for the architecture profession to build unity through design
Architect offers a 4-point manifesto to the design community to work for racial and social justice in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd.
Coronavirus | Aug 25, 2020
Video: 5 building sectors to watch amid COVID-19
RCLCO's Brad Hunter reveals the winners and non-winners of the U.S. real estate market during the coronavirus pandemic.
Architects | Aug 19, 2020
Japan’s Tokyo Toilet project looks to improve the perception of public restrooms
17 toilets throughout Shibuya will be redesigned as part of the project.