Near Figure Taigh-tasgaidh by Meng Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Duais Umha A' Design Award in Dealbhadh Ailtireachd, Togalaichean agus Structaran Competition Category.

UmhaAiltireachd· 2026

Near Figure Taigh-tasgaidh

by Meng Zhao

Duais Umha A' Design Award Winner in Ailtireachd Category

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The Design

About Near Figure Taigh-tasgaidh

'S e taigh-tasgaidh a th' ann an Near Figure a chaidh a dhealbhadh airson Helsinki san Fhionnlainn. Tha an togalach a' rannsachadh na staide eadar cruthan a ghabhas aithneachadh agus cruthan nach gabh aithneachadh. Tha na cumaidhean a' toirt seachad faireachdainn de dh'adhbhar ach a' fuireach neo-fhuasgailte, agus mar sin tha soilleireachd a' nochdadh mean air mhean fhad 's a ghluaiseas luchd-tadhail tro na spàsan. Tha dà shlighe cuairteachaidh air leth air am fighe a-steach còmhla tro atharrachaidhean ann an cruth na h-ailtireachd. Anns an taigh-tasgaidh tha gailearaidhean fosgailte, tallachan taisbeanaidh, cafaidh, àrd-ùrlaran a-muigh agus raointean gnìomhachd. Tha cruadhtan uaine agus fiodh ath-chuartaichte a' leasachadh insleachadh agus a' lùghdachadh sgaoilidhean carboin. Is e 6400 meatairean ceàrnagach an làn fharsaingeachd làir.

The Recognition

About the Duais Umha A' Design Award

Tha Near Figure Taigh-tasgaidh air Duais Umha A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh gu math urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean sònraichte a tha air an comharrachadh le cruthachalachd, innleachd agus geurchuis. Tha buannaichean Umha nan obraichean gu math sgileil agus gu sònraichte cruthachail a dhearbhas eòlas farsaing, mac-meanmna agus tapachd an luchd-dealbhaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi Near Figure Taigh-tasgaidh na nì air a bheil mòran meas, ion-mholta agus gràdhach, a tha gu sònraichte proifeiseanta agus ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Umha A' Design Award a' cur nan cleachdaidhean as fheàrr ann an ealain, saidheans, dealbhadh agus teicneolas an gnìomh, agus tha e sàr-mhath airson an aire do mhion-fhiosrachadh. Bidh Near Figure Taigh-tasgaidh a' sàsachadh fheumalachdan gu h-iongantach, a' suathadh ri miannan, a' tàladh faireachdainnean agus a' togail fiosrachd.

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