“Proposal for a new Sara Hildén museum in Tampere, Finland”

Case Sara Hildén Art Museum

The plot of the competition is located between Finlayson industrial area and the Wilhelm von Nottbeckin park in Tampere. The site and it’s importance dictates the shape and character of the new museum. Dividing the huge mass into many volumes and placing some of the functions underground gives a possibility to creating a building that is a transition between tall masses of the industrial side and the smaller, pavilion-like shapes scattered in the park. The public character of the building and it is role in the surrounding, with visual connections to the underground and is bringing some of the pieces to the ground level, creates a possibility to experience the art by pedestrians without buying the ticket. Accessible ground floor with functions like café, workshops etc. gives the museum an inviting character and does not separate the park from the Finlayson area.

Simple structural grid and layout of the functions minimizes the extra circulation area and makes the spaces flexible. The main entrance to the museum is with a big, representative staircase that is on a view axe between the Palace and the Headquaters. The lobby in placed in the -1 level between two parts of the exbitions – one that is underground and the other that is located in the tower. The rest of the ‘pavilions’ have different shapes and heights. Some of them have specific functions like conference room or entrance to the under ground parking but some are just a visual connection to the rest spaces of the underground exhibitions or a result of high exhibition space located in the -1 level.

The proposal received an honorary mention in the competition (472 proposals in total).