PROJECT | KUKSA

 

An important influence on the design concept is traditional Finnish craftsmanship, especially cultural and heritage artefacts that tell stories and embrace memories of art and history. 

 

Our Architectural solution is based on an organic form which, like Sami traditional embroidery, weaves and interlaces to create a journey through the new museum.  The weave manifests as a physical ramp and route connecting the galleries at the upper level with the public space at ground level.  This route becomes a ribbon wrapping around and within the building so that the visitor experiences imaginative and stimulating spaces.

 

 

NARRATIVE

We have imagined the building as a series of ‘scoops’ that house the public spaces lined with thin timber planks, anchored by a technical block, clad in stone which extends out from the ‘Saaret’ concept of the development to the south. Two elliptical scoops intersect at points resulting in a sense of movement and dynamism, and their forms are also reminiscent of sails capturing wind on the sea. 

 

PUBLIC BENEFIT

We raise the building creating an extended public area underneath maintaining the sea view along the Laivasillankatu. This acts as a performance space extending the public realm. The dramatic forms underside may be used as a screen for digital projections to interact with the public. The two ‘scoops’ are accessible via curved ramps and amphitheatre-style steps as well as via escalators and elevators.

 

EXPERIENCE & INTERACTION

Our galleries provide views of the silhouette city and waterfront from the routes that weave around the building. They are visually connected so that the user experiences different zones and studio galleries. These are intended to be immersive spaces with activities and points of learning and interaction. We wish the visitors, to draw the waterfront and the skyline of the city onto opaque elevation panels encouraging them to be creative and to add their own colour and interpretations of the city directly onto the building

 

SUSTAINABILITY

We proposed to use locally sourced materials and techniques to construct the building, and to minimising energy usage and promoting renewable energy. The ‘Scoops’ design assists with bringing natural light and reflections deep into the plan. The extended ground surface and roof of the technical block provide green landscaped areas that link the building with the park. Ours is a creative response yet allows the internal spaces to be organised practically, with flexible spaces and galleries providing opportunities for different configurations.