The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell includes the renovation and addition to an existing outdated facility. Located within close proximity to downtown Lowell, the new club will include 65,000 sq ft of space. The new design makes a strong connection with the adjacent Clemente Park and the National Historic Park Canal Parkway.
GUGGENHEIM HELSINKI
HELSINKI, FINLAND
The design of the new Guggenheim for Helsinki is a study in counterpoints: between the more traditional values of Finland and the more progressive values of Helsinki, between materials and between technologies. Contrast is also explored through the three distinct architectural components that make up the project, The Grand Hall (cluster of galleries), The Spine Gallery and The Black Box.
LOCATION
Helsinki, Finland
PROGRAM
Museum of Arts
SIZE
210,500 sq ft
STATUS
Competition
CLIENT
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
COLLABORATORS
Buro Happold, Engineer
Key design elements of openness and porosity permeate the complex referencing Nordic ideals. The design acts not as a barrier, but as a filter. Visual access to, from and through the site is always maintained. The museum is an integral part of the waterfront, the scale, proportion and placement of the building components is in keeping with the neighboring buildings. The Northern portion of the site is a public plaza, an inviting social space that draws people from the city center preserving the relationship with the surrounding area. The new Guggenheim functions as an urban connector, extending the city limits to the water’s edge and uniting the historic center with the park Tähtitornin vuori. The design maintains access to the harbor and allows 1/3 of the site to be retained by the public as open green space.
