Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art

Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art is located between two of the city's main transportation hubs. Its iconic image - a new landmark for Helsinki - has been silhouetted against the architectural mix of the space it has subordinated since 1998, when the municipality completed the award-winning design by American architect Steven Holl. While on most sides the museum betrays its tectonic, Nordic-inspired architecture, one side retains the vis-à-vis's features - a partially transparent glass membrane reflecting the area's characteristic bustle. Once inside, the space reveals its character as a setting for contemporary artworks. The architectural language is simple, cavernous, the materials chosen are compact and monochrome, and it is the light that enhances both the spaces and the exhibits. The visitor is guided through the exhibition by the play of light and shade, mainly realized with zenithal light.

In the same Nordic spirit, well known through the achievements of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, Steven Holl has paid close attention to the details that give the space its essence. At the same level of study with the new-existing relationship, the modulation of the interior space, the management of natural light as a primordial element in the design, the interior lighting fixtures were also realized. Clean, simple lines designed against a background full of color and texture.

A silent space, energized by the curved lines of the walls and ramps and dramatized by the use of natural light as an architectural 'material'.

Photo: George SAVU