The building and the part of the city that surrounds it has been shaped more as a friendly landscape and public space, less as a building or an icon. The spatial structure of the museum was the result of an analysis of the location of the site in the city, the accessibility of the site, the views and the interesting neighborhood: the bay, the park on the hill, the ferry port, the communication artery and the first line of buildings by the water. The general premise can be described as a combination of two elements: a two-level public square contrasted with an elevated mass of exhibition spaces.

The lower, covered level of the square houses the hall and accompanying functions. Upper — is an open city square with a wavy, gentle surface. Both levels merge and intersect in many places, increasing the accessibility and openness of a variety of subzones. While the square has an urban, dynamic, open character and connects with the public spaces of the city, the exhibition body is a more introverted place of concentration and individual communion with art. In both elements, however, there are references to elements of Finnish architecture. The traditional Finnish model of a public “hut” in nature (autiotupa) was used in the design as a symbol of openness and human scale. The buildings previously located on the territory of the planned museum also had a simple gable form of roofs. Another processed motif is a traditional Finnish wooden fence formed from sloping elements — used in the exterior cladding of the facade of the exhibition block.

The exhibition spaces of the museum were designed with the flexibility of the divisions in mind, also differentiating the height and the way of illumination of individual zones. The accompanying spaces and their interconnections are intended to create a friendly, readable environment. The intention was to provide a variety of spatial sensations, built with the simplest elements: openings and closures, light.

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