Elävä Museo
Art and Design Museum


2024
Helsinki, Finland

In collaboration with Laura Stargala, Timothée Ryan,
and Amparo Dominguez Soler




The Elävä Museo, the living museum, utilizes local timber to recognize Finnish vernacular architecture, embracing regional resources to create a meaningful cultural contribution to the Helsinki harbour. The museum is designed as an extension of the market, blending industrial architecture with the port’s landscape. It consists of two volumes: one as an archive of Scandinavian heritage, and the other as an engagment with its people. These are linked by a central atrium that serves as a dynamic public space. The museum emphasizes transparency by exposing the construction process, allowing visitors to witness the building’s evolution and creating an immersive, ongoing narrative connected to its urban and maritime surroundings.


Sectional Drawings

Sámi Building Structures

Indigenous communities built shelter with the materials available to them - the architecture was dictated by the constraints of the site, climate, labour, and culture. Similarly, the Elävä Museo responds to its current context, using timber as the main structural material, as well as for wall paneling, roof tiles, and furniture. It is a response to industrialized globalized markets, offering a new way forward for design.
Covered Goods Shed

This image, painted by Magnus von Wright in 1842, illustrates how the previous buildings occupying the site were a ‘katettu tavara vaia,’ a covered goods shed, made of timber. The Elävä Museo recognizes its past by embracing the timber structure that once stood on its site. While the timber structure can be used to house goods, it can also be used to house artifacts of architecture, art and design.
Harbour Structures

This photograph, taken by Gustaf Nyström in 1883, shows a pier’s goods shed. The timber structures were commonly built to house goods and provide shelter for the people occupying the piers. The Elävä Museo utilizes the commonly used material, timber, to create a unique interpretation of sheds across the Finnish harbour landscape.
Fishing Villages

The fishing villages of Finland exemplify the use of timber construction along the water. Timber is not only used to construct architecture, but also boats, furniture, and other design objects. The Elävä Museo is an example of Finnish vernacular architecture, utilizing regional methods and techniques in order to create a meaningful impact on its urban condition and cultural traditions.
The building offers a traditional experience with easy access to exhibitions and shops but enhances engagement by including typically hidden areas, such as back-of-house and employee zones, as part of the visitor experience. This approach allows visitors to connect more deeply with the museum, extending their experience beyond the exhibits on display. The architecture encourages exploration, with a striking roof that leads visitors to an interior garden on the upper levels, where they can enjoy sculptures, events or quiet reflection. This design fosters a sense of belonging and ownership among visitors, making the museum a place of personal and emotional connection.








Ecological, social and economic sustainability are integral to the design, with wood as the primary construction material, reflecting Finland’s traditions and providing environmental benefits. Locally sourced, sustainable wood enhances energy efficiency, reduces costs, and ensures easy maintenance. Social sustainability is addressed by creating a warm, acoustically pleasant interior, making the museum an inviting and inclusive space. Additionally, the roof design provides natural lighting and ventilation, further enhancing energy efficiency. Overall, the museum aims to create a memorable, impactful experience that resonates with visitors, encouraging them to return time and again.


Perspective: View of the atrium from the second floor balcony

Longitudinal Section/Elevation Drawings



Plan Drawings



Aerial Perspective from the Harbor



Liam Martin



A designer in Brooklyn, New York