The proposition consists of three basic volumes taken into consideration with the
urban grid of Helsinki.
Two lateral volumes marked the territory of the museum and are widely open to the
historic city center.
They show with two immense advertising windows the expositional spaces of the
Guggenheim Helsinki to the visitors coming from the city center and to the sea
arrivals.
These two volumes give a calm, neutral background to the third central volume of
the composition. It’s inspired by the ancient Vikings’ ships – one of the historical and
generalizing symbols of the Nordic region of Europe.
This central volume is the basic accent, a memory symbol of the Guggenheim
Helsinki which is the outstanding element in the surrounding waterfront of the South
Harbour either for the visitors arriving by boat and cruise ship, or for the tourists in the
city.
Here, on level -0.60=2.50 is situated the main entrance of the museum. In practice,
the visitors who have entered through the large glasse facades continue under the
“bottom” of the ship. The wooden facade will be built from pre-assembled
elements finished on-site. For the construction of the curved wooden corpus will be
used Siberian Larch wood, shaped with a parametric 3D design and manufacturing
process in order to achieve a good execution of the desired geometry, will be used
for the cladding. Some of the main load – bearing components will be made of
timber.

The second entrance of the museum on level +8.90=12.00 is destinated for the
visitors, coming from the new walk panoramic lane on level +8.90=12.00 connecting
Guggenheim Helsinki with Olympia Terminal, Tahtitornin Vuori Park and the situated
in the western side Military Museum, Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design
Museum.
The two basic entrance levels -0.60=2.50 and +8.90=12.00 are connected by a wide
stair, which during the summer months would be a huge amphitheatre, viewing the
historical center of Helsinki and the whole bay. Beneath this stair, on level ±0.00=3.10
are situated the principal public functions of the museum.
- The main lobby;
- Spaces designated for programs and events;
- Museum and design store;
- Cafe / bar;
- Restaurant;
- Kitchen.
The ground floor is accessible to all visitors and is freely accessed. Security control visitor screening bag check is applied to all visitors arriving on level -0.60=2.50 and
level +8.90=12.00.
The administrative access to the building is separated to the visitors and is possible
either from the new port vehicle access or from the new pedestrian zone in front of
the museum.
Here are projected a little staff parking and a limited VIP parking. In this place of the
competition site is situated the new terminal – a stand-alone and separate building
with three stores and a whole surface about 1260 m2.

In the central part of the main lobby are situated the cash payments and the
access to the first floor – level +4.40=7.50. This floor is with free access for the visitors
in its central part, where in the hold of the “ship” is placed the multipurpose zone-an
atrium with a panoramic view to the bay.
To the left and to the right of the atrium on the same level commence the
exhibition galleries, which have control access to the visitors.
On this floor are designed separated exhibition areas with a possibility for catering
from the restaurant’s kitchen.
On the second floor +8.90=12.00 the two lateral volumes of the museum are only for
an exhibitional purposes. The spaces have the possibilities for different
configurations which depend on the peculiarities of the exhibitions.
On the third floor +15.80=18.90 the exhibition area continues as a gallery open to
the exhibition level +8.90=12.00.
The materials cardinally used for the hang up facades in the museum are a
combination of white stones and lanes of deeper ones.