Davidsson Tarkela Siren Architects
Client
City of Helsinki
Description
Renovation
Size br-m2
8 850
Year
2016

Helsinki City Museum

The relocation of the Helsinki City Museum to the southeast corner of the Senate Square was part of our project to renew Torikorttelit. Within the Elephant city block the museum encompasses 5 listed buildings of very different architectural eras – Sederholm House (1757; the oldest remaining building in Helsinki), the neighbouring building at Katariinankatu 3 (1761), Remander House (1814–1873), Falkman House (1829–1872) and the Valkoinen Sali building (1925; White Hall).

The main entrance from the Aleksanterinkatu through a carriage gateway passes by the only new piece of architecture in the museum. The facade clad with oxidized copper mesh forms a slow-moving material hourglass as a metaphor for the museum. When daylight is low, the metal surface serves as a background for an artwork by light artist Jaakko Niemelä.