AD Museum Design Competition

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(client)

Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, Real Estate Company ADM

(link)

(Services)

Facilitation, Content

Events

(timeline)

January 2024–October 2025

(case update)

Finland is set to open a new National Architecture & Design Museum in 2030, showcasing the heritage of Finnish architecture and design. The new museum building will become a landmark in Helsinki's South Harbour, at the heart of the capital's historic waterfront. We had the honour of accompanying the museum organisation throughout this historic and exceptional process, serving as advisors, moderators, and content creators during the international design competition for the new building.

(starting point)

The project to establish a new museum responds to a long-standing need for purpose-built facilities for two national institutions: the Museum of Finnish Architecture (founded in 1956) and the Design Museum Helsinki (founded in 1873). In spring 2021, the State of Finland and the City of Helsinki, working with the museums, launched the project to establish this new national museum of architecture and design. In April 2024, an international design competition for the new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki was launched, with results announced on September 11, 2025. The Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, and the Real Estate Company ADM—the competition organizers—were looking for a trusted partner to ensure this historic moment received the quality of execution and documentation it deserved. They reached out to us for our expertise in event and audiovisual production and in the fields of design and architecture. Equally important was our experience and understanding of media dynamics and public communication in high-profile projects.

(our contribution)

We accompanied the competition process from start to finish, providing strategic support and production expertise at each key milestone.

Our involvement began with the competition launch event. We consulted on programming and production, conducted video interviews with jury members, and moderated the live webinar—which drew hundreds of viewers from around the world.

The anonymous competition unfolded in two phases. The first phase attracted over 600 entries from which the jury selected five finalists to advance. In the second phase, these finalists came to Helsinki for workshops with local experts—an innovative approach that gave them direct insight into the city and the future role of the museum. We documented this phase while maintaining the strict confidentiality the anonymous process required.

The process reached its peak with the announcement event and prize ceremony, where we both moderated and documented the reveal. To share the finalists' work with a broader audience, an exhibition opened at the Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design. We directed and produced in-depth video interviews with each finalist for the exhibition, creating content that invites visitors into the creative thinking and vision behind each proposal.

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(outcomes)

Competition launch event with live webinar reaching hundreds of viewers worldwide

Moderated and documented announcement event and prize ceremony

In-depth video interviews with all five finalists for the exhibition at the Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design

Comprehensive audiovisual documentation of the historic competition process

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(in collaboration)

DOP Anton Thompson Coon

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AD Museum Design Competition

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