JKMM Architects selected to design landmark waterfront building at the conclusion of an international, open and anonymous competition launched in April 2024.

The 18 month-long process of selecting an architect to design Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki has completed, with the announcement that JKMM Architects, a Helsinki-based architecture practice, has won the international, open and anonymous design competition for the project. JKMM Architects’ design, known during the competition as Kumma, will create a landmark waterfront museum that will showcase Finland’s unique culture of architecture and design on a global stage.

The international design competition received 624 proposals from around the world. Architects from all countries that are party to the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) were eligible to participate, and most of them were represented. About a fifth of the proposals came from Finland. After Finland, the most represented countries were Italy, the USA, France and the UK.

“The jury made a unanimous decision in the anonymous competition”, says Mikko Aho, Chair of the Jury. “Kumma blends into the cityscape, protecting valuable views of the historic waterfront, while at the same time standing out as a recognizable landmark. The use of recycled brick on the facade brings sculptural, architectural warmth and the terrace surrounding the building strengthens the connection to the city. The winning proposal, which is perceived as monumental and angular, is intended to be developed in a more approachable direction. approachable direction. We and the design team share the view that climate-smart solutions are at the heart of further development.”

"I hope that the planning and realization of the new Museum of Architecture and Design can show the way for how new things can be built responsibly and with skill”, states Samuli Miettinen, founding partner and principal designer at JKMM Architects. “Architecture and design are deeply human – they are born from dreams and longing, and they gain their meaning in the places where we can experience and live together."

JKMM Architects’ winning design was awarded €60,000 in prize money. A second prize of €35,000 was awarded to the City, Sea and Sky entry by Cossement Cardoso, an architecture office founded by Charles Cossement and Gil Cardoso, based in Portugal and Belgium. Third prize and €25,000 was awarded to Lopes Brenna, an architectural practice based in Chiasso, Switzerland, for its entry, Moby.

The jury awarded fourth prize and €20,000 to the Tyrsky design completed by a collective of Finnish architects. A purchase option of €10,000 was made to secure the TAU design by the French practice, Atelier Orda.

JKMM Architects

JKMM Architects is one of Finland’s leading architecture practices, responsible for internationally celebrated projects including the Amos Rex art museum in Helsinki, Tammela Stadium in Tampere, University of the Arts Helsinki, Dance House Helsinki and Finland’s contribution to Expo 2020 Dubai. The practice is currently working on an Annexe to the National Museum of Finland, also in Helsinki, due to open in 2027, and an annexe to the Lillehammer Art Museum in Norway. JKMM Architects was founded by Asmo Jaaksi, Teemu Kurkela, Samuli Miettinen and Juha Mäki-Jyllilä in 1998. The practice has twice been a recipient of the Finlandia Prize, the highest annual award for Architecture in Finland.