Case

The home of Finnish glass and ceramic art

What a remarkable opportunity for EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art! The Collection Kakkonen, the world’s largest and most significant private collection of Finnish glass and ceramic art, was in search of a permanent home. With Collection Kakkonen now in its possession, EMMA has firmly established itself as Finland’s premier destination for Art and Design, captivating visitors with its unrivaled contents.

We collaborated closely with EMMA to design the exhibition architecture and visual identity for the new collection. Our goal was to create a functional, sustainable, and architecturally sensitive solution that accommodates the ever-changing content of 600-800 pieces in the collection. Additionally, we tackled challenges related to customer flow, commercial aspects, entrance functions, and other operational considerations stemming from the integration of Collection Kakkonen on the first floor.

After two years of meticulous planning, designing, and construction, we proudly invite everyone to visit the Exhibition Center WeeGee, and delve into the enchanting realms of the human mind and awe-inspiring craftsmanship.

Case Information

Client

EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art

Scope

  1. Service design
  2. Concept design
  3. Experience design
  4. CMF design
  5. UX & UI design
  6. Digital design
  7. Identity design
  8. Graphic design
  9. Retail design
  10. Interior design
  11. Signage & Wayfinding
  12. Sourcing support
  13. Manufacturing support

Web

Credits

Curator: Aura Vilkuna, EMMA
Photography: Iiro Muttilainen
Photography: Aleksi Kuokka

Reimagined customer flow

Since its opening in 2006, the exhibition centre, formerly the printing house of Weiling & Göös publishing company, housed five separate museums with their own tickets and entrances. However, this arrangement fragmented the architectural core of Aarno Ruusuvuori's brutalist concrete masterpiece, compromising the desired customer experience.

To address this issue, the old partitions on the first floor were demolished and the layout was modified, resulting in a new 1,000 square meter gallery space. These changes also improved the flow between exhibitions, allowing visitors to access all exhibitions with a single ticket and through a shared entrance. Additionally, the EMMA museum shop was relocated to the end of the new customer path.

Platform for contents

The collection showcases the remarkable diversity of Finnish glass and ceramics spanning from the late 19th century to the present day. It comprises over 10,000 objects, featuring renowned artists including Alvar Aalto, Rut Bryk, Kaj Franck, Birger Kaipiainen, Toini Muona, Gunnel Nyman, Kristina Riska, Kyllikki Salmenhaara, Markku Salo, Timo Sarpaneva, Michael Schilkin, Kim Simonsson, Nanny Still, Oiva Toikka, Kati Tuominen-Niittylä, Helena Tynell, and Tapio Wirkkala.

Made out of clay, sand and wood

For us, future-proof exhibition architecture meant embracing natural, durable, and local materials to their fullest extent.

Utilizing ecological concrete made with clay from nearby fields, we replaced cement to create the podium surfaces and smaller platforms. This ancient and newly discovered material, developed by Finnish company Luonnonbetoni, boasts a carbon footprint of just 4% compared to conventional concrete. The seamless integration of this material with the building's existing concrete is simply breathtaking.

Another key material in the exhibition is 92-year-old larch logs sourced from a forest in Punkaharju, near the hometown of collector Kakkonen. After a year of careful stabilization, these logs were transformed into massive podiums, providing both flexibility in size and shape. Finished with natural oils, these podiums embody stability and a sense of rootedness.

Despite the heavy utilization of space, the chosen materials age gracefully, with cracks and patina adding layers to the narrative. Furthermore, the natural materials used in the exhibition can be recycled or returned to nature at the end of their lifecycle.

Brutalism made inviting

The design DNA draws inspiration from the original architecture of the WeeGee building, designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori in the 1960s. The building's purposeful pillar construction, expansive window facade, modernist lines, bold details, and brutalist greyness and scale contribute to its distinctive atmosphere, serving as the foundation for creating a new space.

With the main entrance now opening up to the luminous gallery space and the surrounding pine forest, only separated by a frameless glass wall and a new ticket gate, the design honors the building's original appearance while introducing fresh contents.

“This place is to enjoy the beauty, both of the works and the space. Peeling off the unnecessary layers and working with the light, materials and shapes we were aiming for a truly sustainable solution.”
Designers Aleksi Kuokka and Anna Ojajärvi in conversation

Play of contrasts

The delicate glass and ceramic collection finds a home in a robust brutalist building, serving as a profound source of inspiration for us.

The strong concrete elements harmonize with the sleek, frameless glass vitrines. The substantial larch podiums exude a natural warmth, contrasting against the light and pale aluminum shelves. The pure, boxy-shaped podiums frame the organic forms of the collection. Clay is showcased in both its raw and polished appearances.

The unconventional spatial atmosphere of Collection Kakkonen emerges from these contrasting elements. The meticulously chosen materials and color palette strive to achieve perfect harmony with the vibrant collection.

“Here the art gets near to the nature. Which is great because the nature has been the source of inspiration for the most artists.”
Kyösti Kakkonen, The collector

Results

  1. Enhanced customer experience through a unified ticket system and optimized people flow
  2. Achieving the goal of WeeGee Exhibition Centre as the premier destination for art and design
  3. Establishing a sustainable platform for future exhibitions and ever-changing content
  4. Attaining record-breaking visitor numbers since the opening of the WeeGee Exhibition Centre

Are you interested?

Aleksi Kuokka

Head of Brand & Spaces,
Partner
+358 44 705 2226

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