KUMMA | Architecture and Design Museum of Finland | JKMM Architects

“By keeping the silhouette low and sculpting the facades into terraces and promenades, KUMMA works as both museum and public place. It invites passers-by in, extends the programme outdoors year-round and folds the waterfront back into everyday city life.” – founding partner and principal designer Samuli Miettinen, JKMM Architects

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The winning proposal ‘KUMMA’ reimagines the museum as a civic “house of design” where learning, making and research meet everyday life. Set on Helsinki’s waterfront, the low, discreetly sculpted volume adds a calm new layer to the cityscape: inclined facades and divided massing form sheltered terraces and an inviting ground plane. A triangular, daylit core organises clear, ring-like circulation, linking open lobby, library, shop and restaurant to flexible galleries, workshops and independent event spaces that can operate even when the museum is closed. Robust, future-proofed floorplans enable rapid reconfiguration for exhibitions, education and community use, while outdoor rooms—a museum square, balcony route and seaside terraces—extend the public programme into the public realm year-round. Materially, the off-white reused-brick envelope and in-situ concrete frame emphasise durability and craft; low-carbon concrete, recycled components and demand-controlled building systems reduce embodied and operational impacts. A hybrid energy strategy (district networks complemented by geothermal) and climate-resilient detailing— tilted skylights, controlled drainage, airtight envelope—support stable collection conditions and long-term adaptability, making the museum both an urban landmark and a working tool for sustainable design.

Location/Building Site: The new museum will be situated on Helsinki’s seafront, in the South Harbour’s Makasiiniranta district.

Gross Built Area: 10,172 m2

Credits

Architecture Firm: JKMM Architects

Lead Architects: Principal designer of the proposal ‘Kumma’ is JKMM’s founding partner and architect Samuli Miettinen

Visualisations: ©JKMM and ©Mir

JKMM: www.jkmm.fi / @jkmmarchitects
Mir: www.mir.no / @mir.no