Near Figure Amgueddfa by Meng Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award in Pensaernïaeth Competition Category.

EfyddPensaernïaeth· 2026

Near Figure Amgueddfa

by Meng Zhao

Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award Winner in Pensaernïaeth Category

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The Design

About Near Figure Amgueddfa

Mae Near Figure yn amgueddfa a ddyluniwyd ar gyfer Helsinki, y Ffindir. Mae'r adeilad yn archwilio'r cyflwr rhwng ffurfiau adnabyddadwy ac anadnabyddadwy. Mae siapiau'n cyfleu ymdeimlad o bwrpas ond yn parhau heb eu datrys, felly mae darllenadwyedd yn ymddangos yn raddol wrth i ymwelwyr symud drwy'r gofodau. Mae dau lwybr cylchrediad ar wahân wedi'u plethu drwy newidiadau yn y ffurf bensaernïol. Mae'r amgueddfa'n cynnwys orielau agored, neuaddau arddangos, caffi, platfformau allanol ac ardaloedd gweithgaredd. Mae concrit gwyrdd a phren wedi'i ailgylchu yn gwella inswleiddio ac yn lleihau allyriadau carbon. Yr arwynebedd llawr gros yw 6400 metr sgwâr.

The Recognition

About the Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award

Mae Near Figure Amgueddfa yn enillydd Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award, cydnabyddiaeth hynod fawreddog a roddir i ddyluniadau rhagorol sydd yn nodedig am greadigrwydd, dyfeisgarwch a chraffter. Mae enillwyr Efydd yn arteffactau medrus iawn a thrawiadol o greadigol sydd yn dilysu profiad helaeth, dychymyg a dyfeisgarwch eu dylunwyr. Disgwylir i Near Figure Amgueddfa fod yn wrthrych uchel ei fri, a edmygir ac a anwylir, sydd yn nodedig o broffesiynol ac arloesol. Mae'r dyluniad buddugol hwn o Wobr Efydd A' Design Award yn ymgorffori arferion gorau mewn celf, gwyddoniaeth, dylunio a thechnoleg, ac yn rhagorol am ei sylw i fanylion. Mae Near Figure Amgueddfa yn bodloni anghenion yn odidog, yn cyffwrdd â dyheadau, yn swyno teimladau ac yn apelio at chwilfrydedd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Museum in Finland explores the concept of "Near Figure" in architecture, an idea that engages with the critical state between identifiable and unidentifiable forms. This project delves into the tension of architectural progression, capturing a transitional phase where space and form exist in a state of both static and dynamic potential. Through this exploration, the museum represents an evolving symbol of the future of architectural trends.
Dimensions & Packaging: Gross floor area: 6400 square meters Project type: Museum, Exhibits, Pavilions
Tags: Museum, Near Figure, Exhibition, Helsinki, Finland, monumental building, city landmark, public space
Production Technology: The material choice of concrete plays a central role. Its malleability offers the flexibility to express the tension between clarity and abstraction, making it an ideal medium to embody the critical state of architectural form. Concrete allows for the fluidity of shape transitions, highlighting the project's exploration of thresholds and the notion of purpose in design. The combination of recycled wood with green concrete improve the building's insulation and effectively reduces carbon emissions
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge is exploring the meaning in Architecture. The project invested the big shape/form/figure with an air of purposefulness and will. Since modernism as a global hegemonic attitude was shaken and then definitively overcome by the forces of pomo and decon and the digital revolution, there has been a crisis in the belief that questions such as: How does architecture communicate? What is legible? The notion that meaning is possible or desirable in architecture has been challenged.
Research: The punchline to the project is something called a "near figure." Something with a shape, form or figure that conveys an uncanny sense of purpose, but is unable to be satisfactorily resolved into anything identifiable that could become singular and ultimately repressive. Trying to catch the sense of Progressiveness from mathematic geometry-cube. A series of transformation help to discover the threshold of Progressiveness of Legibility. Figure out the minimal and maximum transition of near figure
Inspiration: The "Near Figure" concept, where shapes and forms convey a sense of purpose but are deliberately left in a state that resists complete resolution. This ambiguity allows for a new type of legibility-one that emerges gradually as the viewer engages with the structure. Through the concept, the museum pushes the boundaries of contemporary architecture. It symbolizes a shift in architectural thinking towards a more conceptual, evolving expressions of purpose and identity in architecture.
Project Duration: The project located in Helsinki Finland
Operation Flow: Two independent and directionally distinct circulation paths are interwoven through the transformation of the architectural form. The building's primary functions include open galleries, exhibition halls, cafe, exterior platforms, and activity areas. Within the public spaces, formal variations and deformations create enclosed functional zones such as offices, kitchen, private dining rooms, lounges, and intimate exhibition rooms.
Image Credits: Designer: Meng Zhao Graphic: Meng Zhao