Finishing work and the installation of content have begun in the museum’s brand-new spaces. The historic Main Building, which has undergone renovation, was handed over to the National Museum of Finland in August. The National Museum will open to the public in April 2027.
The most extensive renewal and construction project in the National Museum’s century-long history, which began in autumn 2023, is approaching completion. As its first milestone, the National Museum took possession of the new extension, commissioned by Senate Properties, built by SRV and designed by JKMM Architects. The renovation of the National Museum’s Main Building will be completed in August and is being carried out by NCC.
The extension provides the museum with nearly 6,000 square metres of new space for major exhibitions, events, visitor services and support functions. The building has been designed to serve museum operations far into the future – its expected lifespan is 200 years. Most of the spaces are located underground, where they connect with the historic Main Building. The above-ground, bowl-shaped restaurant Pavilion rising in the National Museum Garden serves as a visible landmark of the extension and as an entrance. Work on the grounds of the museum site is currently well underway.
A new kind of museum experience
The newly completed, long-awaited extension gives the National Museum of Finland the opportunity to stage large, immersive and technically demanding exhibitions.
“We can now begin building the content in concrete terms and on a full scale. The building gives us entirely new opportunities to showcase our extensive national collections and to tell stories about history and cultures in a way that speaks to audiences today and in the future,” says Elina Anttila, Director General of the National Museum of Finland.
Since August, exhibitions and visitor spaces have been built at the museum, technical solutions have been finalised, visitor routes have been planned and preparations have been made to open the complex to the public.
A low-carbon, technically demanding building lays a sustainable foundation for the future
The National Museum’s extension is an example of low-carbon, life-cycle-smart construction. Innovative building-services solutions have been used to reduce the carbon footprint and ensure optimal conditions for museum objects.
The architecturally ambitious complex was designed by JKMM Architects and selected through an open architectural competition held in 2019. The above-ground Pavilion houses an exceptionally demanding reinforced-concrete structure, while the exhibition spaces underground have been built using state-of-the-art technical solutions.
Towards the opening in spring 2027
The renovation of the National Museum’s Main Building will continue until August, when NCC will hand over the renovated landmark of Helsinki’s national-romantic architecture back to the museum. The National Museum will reopen to the public in April 2027.
“The iconic Main Building, which opened on the threshold of Finland’s independence, will be joined by a modern extension created with an equally strong vision. It is an honour to create a comprehensive visitor experience for this historic moment, built around content that is meaningful and relevant to our time,” Anttila concludes.