Archivi e musei di architettura di fronte alle sfide della contemporaneità. Il Museo dell'architettura finlandese

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed a progressive effort to redefine the mission and identity of archives, museums, and architecture centers, with the aim of diversifying their offerings and opening up to a broader audience beyond just professionals. The present essay aims to trace the history of these institutions through the lens of the Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – where the model of the architecture museum first took shape in the second half of the twentieth century. Originally established primarily to preserve a very fragile documentary heritage, archives and museums have progressively invested in architectural research and education and have simultaneously taken on the role of promoters of national architectural culture. The most recent evolution has shifted attention toward design, the arts, and entertainment, reducing the space dedicated to architecture. We choose as a case of the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki. Founded in 1956 and considered a model for the subsequent establishment of centers and museums in the Nordic region, its history is emblematic first as an expression of the country’s dynamic progressive architectural culture milieu, and later for its desire for greater visibility. Its transition is still ongoing due to the recent merger with the Design Museum toward the establishment of the ‘Architecture and Design Museum’, to be housed in a new location in a strategic area of the historic Helsinki harbor front – a place with large spaces for exhibitions, conferences, and educational and outreach activities, but which does not include storage for the collections – the real reason for its origin – which have already been moved far from the city center