Located underneath a 1930’s shopping center and the adjacent Lasipalatsi Square in Helsinki, the Amos Rex Museum provides about 23,500 sf of modern exhibition space.
The underground exhibition halls have domed ceilings and large skylights that open up to the square. From inside, the domed, undulating roofs have a design that features white circles against a black backdrop, which takes on the appearance of an art installation in its own right. The contemporary display halls have no pillars and are designed with flexibility in mind to allow for a variety of different exhibitions.
© Mika Huisman.
See Also: A WWII bunker becomes a museum along Denmark’s coast
From above ground, the five domes and skylights resemble slowly melting igloos peppered around the square. Visitors can take a peek into the skylights to view what is happening below or they can climb and walk along the domed roofs. The domes and skylights allow the square to function as an open space while also ensuring the museum space below doesn’t go unnoticed.
The Amos Rex Museum officially opened on Aug. 30.
© Tuomas Uusheimo.
Related Stories
Museums | Sep 14, 2016
Architectural model museum opens in Japan
The museum includes models from Japanese architects including Shingeru Ban, Kengo Kuma, and Riken Yamamoto.
Museums | Sep 14, 2016
Finnish government halts plans for Guggenheim Helsinki
Construction of the museum relied heavily on state funding, which has officially been denied.
Museums | Jun 17, 2016
Construction begins on new and expanded International Spy Museum in Washington D.C.
The building will have a glass veil that surrounds an enclosed black box, a setup that the museum hopes will add vibrancy to its new L’Enfant Plaza location.
Education Facilities | Jun 1, 2016
Gensler reveals designs for 35-acre AltaSea Campus at the Port of Los Angeles
New and renovated facilities will help researchers, educators, and visitors better understand the ocean.
Museums | May 26, 2016
Napur Architect wins design contest for Budapest’s Museum of Ethnography
The Museum of Ethnography’s new home will be part of a large museum complex in Budapest’s City Park
Museums | May 2, 2016
Rippled facade defines Snøhetta’s San Francisco Museum of Modern Art expansion design
The museum will have three times as much gallery space as before, along with a new theater, atrium, and living wall.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 12, 2016
Studio Libeskind designs angular Kurdish museum rich with symbolism
The museum consists of four geometric volumes separated by somber and uplifting divisions.
Museums | Mar 24, 2016
Aquarium of the Pacific unveils whale of a project
Designed by EHDD, the 18,000-sf, whale-shaped Pacific Visions will have gathering spots, galleries, and a theater with a large, curved screen.
Museums | Mar 3, 2016
How museums engage visitors in a digital age
Digital technologies are opening up new dimensions of the museum experience and turning passive audiences into active content generators, as Gensler's Marina Bianchi examines.
Museums | Feb 12, 2016
Construction begins on Foster + Partners’ Norton Museum of Art expansion project
The Florida museum is adding gallery space, an auditorium, great hall, and a 20,000-sf garden.
