Timber-glass lighthouse wins Helsinki Guggenheim design contest

An 11-member international jury chose Art In The City over five other designs because it was contemporary and respected the site it would be built on in the South Harbour. Photo: designguggenheimhelsinki.org

A proposal for a timber-clad lighthouse won an international contest for the design of a planned Helsinki Guggenheim museum on June 23 , even as the future of the project hangs in the balance amid strong opposition from many Finns.

The winning entry by Paris-based Moreau Kusunoki Architects, which beat five other short-listed designs, links nine low pavilions to a lighthouse-like tower, with all structures clad in Finnish charred timber and glass.