One competition, 17,000+ entries
Competition entry images: designguggenheimhelsinki.org
Helsinki Guggenheim is poised to place wood in architecture on the world stage. When 6 of these 1,715 entries are announced as short-listed finalists on December 2, 2014 it is without doubt that wood will continue to feature heavily and emphasise the best in contemporary architecture.
The motives for employing wood in this design are obvious. Not only is the project located in the arguable nucleus of wooden design; Helsinki, but wood in architecture is currently experiencing a renaissance.
When working on my own proposal, timber presented many opportunities. Wooden expression, construction, manufacturing, detail and – among other things – experience all heavily influenced the design. Even for such a large and ambitious building, wood was still an obvious choice for the challenging waterfront site.
A brief glance at the entries demonstrates woods popularity. In all varieties of use, including structural, cladding, ornamental and even conceptual, the competition entries came in a plethora of wooden forms, gestures and inventive designs.
With this well published competition, timber enthusiasts should be excited at the opportunities offered to wooden design. Less than 20 years ago the city of Bilbao, Spain opened its own Guggenheim to great acclaim. Not only was the museum a success in its own right and in putting the small Basque town on the map but it also elevated its architect, Frank Gehry into colossal fame.
The Bilbao Guggenheim altered he trajectory of architectural discourse with its radical formal language and material palate, and the idiom; ‘The Guggenheim effect’ continues to resonate in architectural offices today. Now its woods turn to get in on the fun.
With this competition a new frontier for wood in architecture is upon us. Just as I was excited to see wood become synonymous with the illustrious name of Guggenheim with my own design, we should look forward to seeing the winning proposals. Hopefully our favourite natural material stars a leading role in architecture's next big thing.
See all 1,715 entries here