"Leijua” – New Museum of Architecture and design
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Leijua — meaning “to float” in Finnish — is a visionary competition proposal for the New Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki, Finland. Leijua imagines a museum that is not only a repository of culture, but an active platform for public life — a place to encounter ideas, materials, and one another. Developed in response to the 2024 international design competition, the proposal draws on Nordic maritime traditions, Finnish material heritage, and the urgent need for climate-conscious design. It envisions a museum grounded in the past, engaged in the present, and shaped for the future.
Situated in Helsinki’s historic South Harbor, adjacent to the UNESCO-listed Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Leijua was developed by In*Situ Architecture through an intensive four-month collaboration that integrated the full In*Situ design team with faculty and students from Penn State University and Texas Tech University’s College of Architecture in El Paso. The team also included El Paso-based structural engineering firm Kilo Structure and landscape architecture firm The Dry Land. Led by Mehrdad Hadighi, RA, Ph.D., the proposal reflects a deep integration of architectural design, further enriched by the contributions of Mahyar Hadighi, Ph.D., whose expertise lies in history and integrating architectural heritage, and Rahman Azari, Ph.D., who specializes in sustainability and low-carbon design. Leijua’s architectural concept is structured around three elemental archetypes — Mound, Wall, and Frame — each representing a stage in the evolution of building:
Visitors engage with these structural typologies through movement and experience. As they ascend through the building, they physically and visually encounter the evolution of architecture — from stone to glass to wood — embodied in space, scale, and material. At its core, Leijua is designed to be a museum for everyone. The ground and lower levels are freely accessible and function as an extension of the city — offering cafés, lounges, children’s galleries, water and air galleries, and outdoor gathering spaces. These elements serve not only visitors familiar with architecture and design, but also those who may wander in out of curiosity. Above, the ticketed exhibition galleries span three levels and invite deeper engagement with design culture, global and local. Sustainability is not a feature — it is fundamental. Leijua is a net-zero carbon proposal, built with renewable and climate-resilient materials. Engineered timber serves as both structure and symbol — a low-carbon alternative to steel or concrete, and a celebration of locally sourced timber and Finnish wood craft skills. The building incorporates passive solar strategies, daylight optimization, and systems designed for longevity in a changing climate. Positioned as the northernmost new structure in the Makasiiniranta redevelopment, Leijua introduces a new figure to the Helsinki skyline — one shaped by inquiry, creativity, and innovation. While respecting key sightlines toward landmarks like Helsinki Cathedral and Uspenski Cathedral, the museum introduces a new kind of landmark: Leijua’s library tower, its highest point, serves as a civic beacon — a contemporary counterpart to the city’s historic spires. It offers a place to reflect not only on the sea and city, but on the evolving roles of design and science in shaping the world. Leijua is a museum that floats — not just in name, but in concept and experience. It is grounded in place and heritage, yet light in its touch. It is both vessel and stage: a structure to hold culture, and a space to invite imagination. This competition entry reimagines what a museum can be — not just a building, but a civic tool, a spatial story, and a living laboratory for the future of design. |
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