Museum of Finnish Architecture

Museum of Finnish Architecture

Wood Studio experimental holiday cabin in the museum grounds, Nov. 2016

TheMuseum of Finnish Architecture(Finnish:Suomen arkkitehtuurimuseo,Swedish:Finlands arkitekturmuseum) is an architecturalmuseuminHelsinki,Finland.Established in 1956, it is the second oldest museum of its kind (after theShchusev Museum of ArchitectureinMoscow) devoted specifically to architecture. The museum was founded on the basis of the photographic collection of theFinnish Association of Architects(SAFA), which was established in 1949.

The museum is on Kasarmikatu street inUllanlinna,housed in aneo-classicalbuilding, designed by architectMagnus Schjerfbeckand completed in 1899. The building was originally in the use of a scientific society and theUniversity of Helsinki.The museum took over use of the building in 1981, before which it had been housed in a former wooden pavilion inKaivopuistoPark. Occupying the same city block as the Museum of architecture is theDesign Museum.In 1984 anarchitectural competitionwas arranged for a new building to be built in the gap between the two buildings, this linking them together as a single institution. The competition was won by architects Helin and Siitonen, but the project was abandoned soon afterwards, due to logistics and problems of finance. The building is currently owned by the State of Finland throughSenate Properties.

The museum has large collections of drawings, photographs and architectural scale models. It also has its own library and bookstore. The museum organises exhibitions on both Finnish and foreign architecture as well as exhibitions on Finnish architecture for touring abroad. It also publishes its own books.

Although independent of SAFA and its journalThe Finnish Architectural Review(ARK), the museum is seen, along with these, as the key influence in continuously promotingmodern architecturein Finland. This policy has been promoted vigorously abroad and sponsored by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of education.

See also

• Architecture of Finland

References

• Petra Ceferin,Constructing a Legend. The International Exhibitions of Finnish Architecture 1957–1967.Helsinki, SKS, 2005.
• Roger Connah,The Piglet Years. The Lost Militancy in Finnish Architecture.Tampere, Datutop, 2006.
• Pekka Korvenmaa (ed.),The Work of Architects: The Finnish Association of Architects 1892–1992.Helsinki, The Finnish Association of Architects, 1992.

External links

• Official website