How has the Guggenheim Helsinki Competition open doors for unknown architects?
From the monumental collection of architectural masterpieces around the globe by the likes of Frank Llyod Wright, Frank Ghery, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is now welcoming a new feat by opening up an international architectural design competition for the future Guggenheim museum in Finland.
The foundation is organizing this open architectural competition, in order to seek an original visionary design proposal for the next Guggenheim museum in Helsinki.
What make this competition quite special is its universality. At the first stage the submissions entered are anonymous. As a result, any famous names will not alter the course of the competition. The main purpose of this competition is to give an opportunity to a wide variety of architects from inexperienced to mature, and from different backgrounds and cultures to engage.
The competition tends to provide a great opportunity for architects interested in engaging themselves in practising architecture on a grand level. It is a chance to present one’s ideas, concepts and everyone is given a fair and equal chance to present their projects.
To submit your proposal it was required to submit A4-size pages with a 500-word description in English explaining the concept behind the proposal, and four A1-size board representing the key project criteria. Each board is meant to establish the competitor’s approach. Boards may contain different kind of media presentation such as drawings, words, sketches, photos, and visualizations, as well as providing a 150-word summary of the design, to be used to describe the entry in the online gallery. As mentioned, none of these submissions should reveal one’s identity. All works are marked with a unique registration number.
The evaluation will be on five main criteria: cityscape architecture, usability, sustainability and feasibility. The Guggenheim Foundation seeks a design that has the potential to become a landmark in the city and has a strong connection to the historic city centre itself.
The competition received an overwhelming unprecedented response from architects around the world. There are now 1715 submissions from 77 countries. From these submissions the jury will select six proposals to advance to the next stage and the potential candidates will be asked to expand on stage one design and work producing a master plan model.
All submissions can be found online at: http://designguggenheimhelsinki.org/stageonegallery/
Written by: Nadia Asali Edited by: Ariela Lenetsky
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.