Finnish Architecture Museum in Helsinki , Finland . Founded in 1956, it is the second oldest museum of its kind (after Moscow) dedicated to architecture. The museum was based on the photographic collection of the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), which was established in 1949.
The museum is located on Casarmikatu Street in Ullanlinna, in a neoclassical building designed by architect Magnus Schjerfbeck and completed in 1899. The building was originally used by the Science Society and the University of Helsinki. The museum took over the management of the building in 1981, until it was housed in a former wooden pavilion in Kaivopuisto Park. The Design Museum occupies the same city quarter as the Architecture Museum. In 1984 an architectural competition arranged a new building to be built between the two buildings, linking them together as a single institution. The architects Helin and Siitonen won the competition, but the project was soon abandoned due to logistics and financial problems. The building is currently owned by the Finnish state through the Senate of Pertis.
The museum has a large collection of drawings, photographs and architectural models. It also has its own library and bookstore. The museum organizes exhibitions of both Finnish and foreign architecture as well as exhibitions of Finnish architecture for travelling abroad. It also publishes its own books.
Despite its independence from SAFA and its magazine The Finnish Architectural Review (ARK), the museum, along with them, is considered a key factor in the continuous promotion of modern architecture in Finland. This policy is actively promoted abroad and funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education.