Double nature. The museum is strategically located at the intersection of two territories: the new urban development of Linnaniemi and the Castle Park. Substrata exploits this dual character of an architecture that wants to be both a pavilion and a park at the same time, to reflect from a prismatic point of view on the history and future of its territory. “The city as a museum. The park as museum”

Multiscalar. Architecture along the river has the naval scale of boats - long blocks are distributed in a parallel grid along the waterfront, responding to the movement speed of the ships. In contrast, the new masterplan proposes to mirror the archipielago creating multiple courtyard-block units on a human scale. The new museum learns from both to create a new hybrid landmark.

Linear Modularity. The building is easy to navigate, configure and expand; it also offers better operational efficiency in terms of climatic and security independency. According to the type of user and activities, three spatial groups are differentiated: firstly, the lobby as the main interface for general public services - it works as an urban living room, a fully accessible place of open circulation. It controls the entrance to a second block: the display set of spaces which are the largest areas of the building. Lastly, a narrower prism dedicated to make the museum work, it hosts offices, management and technical rooms. A modular structure of the building responds to the programmatic longitudinal organization. Large frames cross all three strips 14 metres apart from each other. They are unfolded into pairs of wooden bearing structures to reduce the gravity load solicitation from the floor slabs, walkable green roofs and exhibition halls. Their interstitial space accommodates the MEP/HVAC systems that serves the entire building. Concrete walls are placed as lateral framings at the perimeter to contain the earth of the underground floor.