(HELSINKI AND NEW YORK CITY, October 22, 2014) - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation today announced the launch of an online gallery featuring the submissions for Stage One of the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition to design a proposed Guggenheim museum in the Finnish capital. The gallery—which can be found on the competition website at designguggenheimhelsinki.org/stageonegallery - is the first public presentation of the Stage One entries.
Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, said:
‘We are thrilled to throw open the doors of this digital gallery and share the Stage One submissions with people in Finland and from around the world. Since its inception, this competition has been organized to be welcoming, inclusive, and transparent, and the gallery presents a singular opportunity for the public to explore and consider the broad expanse of entries.’
Malcolm Reading, chairman of London-based Malcolm Reading Consultants, said:
‘For anyone interested in design, the gallery is a tremendous resource that offers rare insight into the design process and further illustrates how the vision for a Guggenheim Helsinki put forth in the competition brief and the prominent South Harbor site have captured the imagination of architects around the world.’
Online Gallery Features
Each submission in the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition online gallery is represented with two images and a brief concept summary provided by competitors, and is identified only by registration number. In addition to presenting each entry, the gallery includes several features that allow web visitors to further explore the submissions and share their top selections:
- Map: Stage One submissions were received from 77 countries, according to voluntary data provided by 70 percent of competitors. A “heat map” indicates the overall percentage of submissions received by country, led by the United States, Italy, Finland, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan.
- Search by Tag: To enhance the online viewing experience, competitors were invited to choose up to five tags to describe their design concept. Tags were chosen from a list of twenty-five characteristics related to material, shape, texture, and transparency. Tags were not required and will have no bearing on the jury process or decision. Online visitors can select any combination of tags, or no tags at all, to filter the submissions.
- Create a Shortlist: Reflecting the official jury process of selecting six finalists to continue to Stage Two of the competition, users can create their own shortlists of six entries and share them through email or social media.
- Favorites: Users can identify and save favorite entries for follow-up and future viewing.
Competition Next Steps
- Jury Deliberations: November 2014
As the next step in the competition, the independent, eleven-member jury will meet in Helsinki in early November to review all Stage One submissions. Entries will be judged anonymously on the basis of their architectural design, relationship to the site and the cityscape, practicality for users, sustainability (including criteria for the use of materials), and feasibility, according to the guidelines established in the competition brief. The six top entries will advance to Stage Two of the competition.
- Shortlist Announcement: December 2, 2014
The six shortlisted entries selected to move to Stage Two of the competition will be presented in Helsinki at a media event on December 2, 2014. In accordance with European Union procurement rules, shortlisted teams or individuals will be named but will not be matched to their designs. Shortlisted designers will be invited to visit the proposed museum site in Helsinki in December and will have until March 2015 to make final submissions.
- Winner Announcement: June 2015
The winning design will be announced in June 2015. The winner will be awarded a prize of €100,000 (approximately $136,000). The five runners-up each will receive €55,000 (approximately $75,000).
More Information
Competition website: designguggenheimhelsinki.org
Project website: guggenheimhki.fi
