„The museum offers plenty of meeting places for a wide range of users. The museum is thus a model example of a modern public building in the Nordic welfare society that serves the community in many ways. The proposal therefore also represents the operating philosophy of a new type of museum.”
(Jury’s evaluation)
Finland’s oldest city, Turku, launched an international competition to design the Museum of History and Future. The project is part of the revitalization of one of the country’s busiest harbours, which currently lies outside the city’s cultural hub.
The planning area is located in the vicincy of the medieval Turku Castle and the Aura River. The city envisioned a contemporary building with a distinctive shape that serves as a landmark welcoming those arriving by sea and functioning as a “living room” for the locals—a central meeting place.
The design by Archikon was selected among the “upper” category from over 400 submissions. The proposed building forms a composition with the castle while its typology references the industrial past of the port. The contemporary use of materials is based on the Finnish wooden architecture tradition, combined with recycled brick. The facade openings respond to the geographical, historical, and cultural context.
More information can be found on the city’s website.
