Turku

A confluence of the past and a wealth of the future

The greatness of the city of Turku in promoting a new space for history and the future lies in the possibility of a museum that does not exhibit already established finds, but works as a functional laboratory, not being a representation of something that exists in an obvious way, but the search for something that we do not yet know. In this case, the past exists as a foundation, always in a process of revision, for the future, uncertain but idealised. In this case, the ideal future lies in the possibility of creating a new cultural space for the city, in which the arts play an essential role in stimulating the utopian imagination of the people. As a society, we are a confluence of the past and a richness of the future. Despite all the social and programmatic complexity that surrounds a contemporary museum, the architectural proposal is based on three simple guidelines, but which configure the architectural result with great expressiveness: 1. The entire museum is located on a single level, at a height of +3.00 metres, which ensures a high degree of integration with the surrounding areas (the castle, the park, the market, the new buildings and the terminal). 2. We have organised the museum into 04 (four) clearly defined sectors: 01 – Services and facilities. 02 – Exhibition galleries. 03 – Customer block with access and large hall, café and shop. 04 – Partner block (auditorium, event spaces, coworking and restaurant). 3. Finally, an architectural form that relates to the context of the city of Turku, from its materiality to its tectonics. The roof is sloped to direct views towards the castle and the market, while at the same time receiving diffuse zenithal lighting in varied and controlled situations. The image of the new museum is defined by its material image rather than its formal charge, which tends to dissolve into the landscape. The tectonic technique aims to associate past and future, reinterpreted history and idealisation. Large structural porticos (columns and beams) made of reforested local wood are placed side by side. They create large, flexible spaces where art can happen experimentally. Rhythms are created, textures varied according to the flow of light throughout the day and year. Streaks of light and shadow in the depth of the structure. An epidermal gesture inside and out. It does not hide its stereotomy, on the contrary, it presents itself naturally, adapting to different spaces. An architecture that gives free rein to the imagination in spacious, bright rooms, in harmony with the landscape.