Meet the newly appointed architects of Finland’s Museum of Architecture and Design

JKMM has won the competition for Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki. The results of the highly anticipated, anonymous, global competition were announced this morning – with Helsinki-based JKMM scooping the top spot, followed by second prize winner Cossement Cardoso; third prize winner Lopes Brenna; and a collective of Finnish architects, and Atelier Orda, also earning mentions. This morning's big reveal concludes the competition cycle, which began in 2024 –and signals the start of works for the museum's build.

Kumma: Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki

The design, titled Kumma, outlines a dramatic, yet minimalist building, which, as the brief demanded, is located on the waterfront in Helsinki’s historic South Harbour over some 10,050 sq m. The project's mandate includes bringing together a collection of over 900,000 artefacts within a single cultural institution with international appeal – the central mission of which is 'democratising the tools of design.'

JKMM's proposal was picked over 624 submissions – the jury had a hard job deciding on the winner. The architects worked with collaborators Akukon (acoustic and AV design), Granlund (HVAC Engineering, Energy Calculation), MIR (visualisation), Pentagon Design (service design), and Ramboll Finland (structural design, carbon footprint calculation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, electrical and lighting, geo design).

The building is set to sit on the vacant site of a former dockyard in central Helsinki – and in particular, an area that is a designated buffer zone of the Unesco World Heritage Site of The Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. Sustainable architecture was also a key part of the design, an especially important element for Helsinki, a capital that has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 (the recent, 2025 Wallpaper* Award-winning, environmentally friendly renovation of Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall is part of the same approach). JKMM's design was selected for demonstrating exemplary sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity.

Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design, said: 'This announcement is a pivotal moment for Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design, marking the conclusion of years of work to fundraise and lay the groundwork for a new museum, and the beginning of work to develop a new landmark on a hugely significant site for Helsinki. We also invite the museum's audience to join in this work by participating in our workshops and exhibitions.'

Who are JKMM?

If you are not familiar with Finnish studio JKMM, get to know it. The Helsinki-based architecture practice is headed by directors and friends Asmo Jaaksi, Teemu Kurkela, Samuli Miettinen and Juha Mäki-Jyllilä, who co-founded it in 1998, and is one of the country's biggest in both size and creative ambition.

Past works have included the internationally acclaimed Amos Rex art museum in Helsinki, Tammela Stadium in Tampere, University of the Arts Helsinki, Dance House Helsinki, Chappe in Southern Finland, and Finland’s contribution to Expo 2020 Dubai. Meanwhile, the team are currently working on more high-profile work in their home country – namely, an Annexe to the National Museum of Finland, also in Helsinki, due to open in 2027.

Their work is known for its considerate balance of minimalism and functionality, bridging effortlessly contemporary and historical settings and connecting architecture, people and context. 'In our buildings, we have wanted to focus on how museum, or for that matter any arts space architecture, relates to the immediate experience of place, adding both a sense of rootedness and also something wholly new that brings about vitality to the local community. This, I feel, is especially important for cultural buildings, as they are the very things that give places identity by bringing people together, but only if people feel welcome and can take ownership of them,' partner Jaaksi told us at the opening of Chappe in 2023.

What's next for the project?

This win means JKMM Architects receive €60,000 in prize money for the winning design. The studio's design will hold the institution's collection of over 900,000 artefacts, which include anything from objects and correspondence, to models and photographs – all linked to internationally-famed Finnish practitioners in the design world, such as Aino and Alvar Aalto, Eero Aarnio, Maija Isola, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Paavo Tynell, and design brands such as Marimekko, Nokia and Fiskars.

Samuli Miettinen, founding partner and principal designer at JKMM Architects, said: 'I hope that the planning and realisation of the new Museum of Architecture and Design can show the way for how new things can be built responsibly and with skill. 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.'

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the museum opening planned for 2030.