Near Figure Museum by Meng Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Bronse in Arkitektur-, Bygnings- og Konstruksjonsdesign Competition Category.

BronseArkitektur· 2026

Near Figure Museum

by Meng Zhao

A' Design Award i Bronse Winner in Arkitektur Category

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The Design

About Near Figure Museum

Near Figure er et museum designet for Helsinki, Finland. Bygningen utforsker tilstanden mellom identifiserbare og uidentifiserbare former. Formene formidler en følelse av hensikt, men forblir uavklarte, slik at lesbarheten fremtrer gradvis etter hvert som besøkende beveger seg gjennom rommene. To separate sirkulasjonsveier er flettet sammen gjennom endringer i den arkitektoniske formen. Museet rommer åpne gallerier, utstillingshaller, en kafé, utvendige plattformer og aktivitetsområder. Grønn betong og resirkulert tre forbedrer isolasjonen og reduserer karbonutslipp. Bruttoarealet er 6400 kvadratmeter.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Bronse

Near Figure Museum er vinner av A' Design Award i Bronse, en høyt prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles enestående design som utmerker seg ved kreativitet, oppfinnsomhet og skarpsindighet. Bronsevinnere er rikt dyktige og påfallende kreative gjenstander som bekrefter designernes store erfaring, fantasi og ressurssterkhet. Near Figure Museum forventes å være en høyt ansett, beundret og verdsatt gjenstand som er bemerkelsesverdig profesjonell og nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Bronse, rommer beste praksis innen kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi og utmerker seg ved sin omtanke for detaljer. Near Figure Museum tilfredsstiller behov på en strålende måte, berører ønsker, sjarmerer følelser og vekker nysgjerrighet.

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