ADAT Studio
Helsinki's new museum of architecture and design, a warm invitation amidst the cold
Helsinki's new museum of architecture and design, a warm invitation amidst the cold. The visual presentation for an international competition.
We had the privilege of creating the visual presentation for ADAT Studio's proposal in the international competition for Helsinki's New Museum of Architecture and Design, an ambitious cultural project envisioned as a new landmark for the city. Titled A Warm Invitation Amidst the Cold, the design offers a contemporary and dynamic space that celebrates architecture, design, and the spirit of Helsinki itself.
Our images had to carry that same spirit: the transformative use of natural light, the meticulously framed views, and an experience that shifts with the time of day and the seasons, mirroring the unique Nordic environment. Every frame was composed to make the jury feel the warmth the project promises against the cold around it.
We created the visual presentation for ADAT Studio's competition proposal for Helsinki's New Museum of Architecture and Design, a new landmark for the city.
01 Creative Direction
In this project, as in all our competition work, we delivered more than three sketches for every final view requested. Behind each of those sketches sits a further layer of work: our process requires analysing at least ten cameras for every sketch, moving through the model in search of the angle that tells the project best. It is a slow, deliberate part of our creative direction, and it is where the real decisions are made.
As in all our competition work, more than three sketches per view, each backed by at least ten cameras explored in the model in search of the best angle.
It is also where clients are most often surprised. Many of them tell us they are genuinely struck by the points of view we propose and by the way we narrate their projects, in ways that had never come to their mind. That reaction, more than any single image, is the value of the process.
It is where clients are most surprised, struck by points of view and ways of narrating their project that had never come to mind.
02 Project
Situated along the city's picturesque waterfront, the museum is conceived as a vital link between Helsinki's rich architectural heritage and its innovative future. The building embraces its surroundings, fostering a deep connection with the urban landscape and the water, while natural light and carefully framed views create an experience that changes with the day and the seasons.
On the waterfront, the museum links Helsinki's heritage and its future, with natural light and framed views creating an experience that changes with the day.
At its heart, the museum works as a multi layered urban gallery: a place where visitors engage with exhibitions, creative workshops, and public events in an open and inviting setting. Fluid transitions between interior and exterior encourage movement and interaction, and public plazas and landscaped terraces extend the museum's reach into the city.
At its heart, a multi-layered urban gallery for exhibitions, workshops and events, with fluid transitions between inside and outside extending into the city.
03 The Beacon
One of the most striking features of the design is its rooftop terrace, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Helsinki's skyline and the vast expanse of the sea. This elevated public space provides a moment of pause and reflection, reinforcing the museum's role as a cultural beacon within the city, and our night images were built precisely around that role: a warm, glowing presence on the dark waterfront.
Its rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of the skyline and the sea; our night images were built around that role, a warm glowing presence on the dark waterfront.
More than a building, the project aspires to become a dynamic hub for creativity, learning, and exchange, a place where history and contemporary design come together to inspire future generations, enriching the waterfront and reinforcing Helsinki's position as a global centre for architecture and design.
More than a building, it aspires to a hub for creativity and exchange, reinforcing Helsinki's position as a global centre for architecture and design.
Full image set
