#113 Sara Hildén Art Museum

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Details

2021

Client Name
Sara Hildén Foundation

Category - Public Building
Museum - Competition entry

Location - Tampere, Finland

In collaboration with Buchlander-Nelli architects

Everything often starts from a very simple gesture that eventually turns into something magical, sophisticated. The ability of every form of art is to play with our imagination, modeling our perception to guide our experience through a different, unexpected journey. Masses, matters, contrasts, colors, these are often the tools to play with, finding balances, proportions.

The way to experience them is the prelude to something surprising, or better said, yet unknown. A strong vision is capable to guide gestures wisely, everything comes to a sense when an intimate harmony will be perceived between the eyes and the hands, a click that gives back a sense of relief, that makes you drop whatever you are holding to take a step back to finally say, “this is it, it doesn’t need more than that to feel complete, I found it!”.

While the genesis and the conclusion of every form of art, is attached to what was just described above, architecture often finds itself to relate to the same principles.

Gestures define spaces, moves depict movements, materials create atmospheres, and thresholds allow for a subconscious sound perception.

The design of the new Sara Hildén Art Museum revolves around the finding of a balanced proportion within those components, striving to generate a space that connects to the city and the neighborhood at large, without hiding its strong lineaments in pursuing an educated identity.

Every new intervention in a historical district begins with a set of questions that often leads to becoming a set of design principles instead.

How does the new building connect with the existing? What would make that connection stronger yet subtle to respect what has been there before?

The answer often is not there to be found simply because a set of pragmatic answers wouldn’t make us relevant here, while the sensibility in seeking new opportunities could generate a sense of common, yet accepted, “Renaissance”.

The whole neighborhood is currently experiencing a vibrant change of scenery, historic buildings have been adapted to house young businesses, attracting investors, generating a progressive form of urbanity much more educated and sensitive to the understanding and appreciation of the heritage through a dynamic form of experiencing contrasts.

The ground floor of the new Sara Hildén Museum anchors to that kind of newly educated urbanity, offering a set of public functions, such as a cafe, museum shop, public workshop, foyer, and street gallery accessible to the whole community.

A permeable space that connects to the neighborhood and what is there to be experienced. Mostly transparent, the entire floor acts as a plinth that supports the volumes above, allowing a see-through among the different functions. It doesn’t obstruct the view to the park and simultaneously establishes a strong connection with the TR34 headquarters across the street, a building defined by a distinctive set of historic lineaments.

Above the plinth are the gallery volumes that liberate themselves through the expression of gentle moves that allow for a constant back and forth between the masses like a synchronized dancing.

Shapes and masses are then emphasized by the delicately casted shadows that gently lay on the brick surfaces. The central volume acts as a landing lounge at every floor allowing for a pause while experiencing the exhibitions.

The two volumes at the left and right hand side house the galleries; a landscaping set of walls creates a sharp contrast with the curved surfaces at the perimeter.

The Harmonic contrast creates dynamism, a sense of movement, embracement, and belongingness. While the brick surface constantly works as a backdrop, walls will break down the space, generating a layout that offers an interactive yet mysterious experience through a sequence of not-yet-revealed spaces capable of emphasizing the expectation towards something that it is just about to happen.

The wall’s articulation creates in-between spaces, making rooms for several opportunities. These buffer zones amplify the spatial organization of the galleries creating a set of unique moments often enriched by double-height spaces, openings and targeted views to the surrounding landmarks.

On the first floor, the playing of the masses allows for two generous outdoor terraces to host events and outdoor exhibitions if required.
A new home for the Sara Hildén Art Museum, a building capable of speaking to the city and its inhabitants, contributing to its exciting, never-ending growth. A place that wants to be recognized, that decided to speak up, showing manners and sense of acceptance through its gentle yet sophisticated architecture.``

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