Joenniemi Manor Renaissance
The expansion of the Serlachius Museum Gösta integrates 21st-century museological infrastructure into the historic Joenniemi Manor estate in Mänttä, Finland. Designed to accommodate large-scale contemporary art logistics without disrupting the site, the proposal establishes a subtle dialogue between Jarl Eklund’s 1935 Functionalist manor house, Paul Olsson’s formal garden, and the natural landscape of Lake Melasjärvi.
Architectural Concept & Site Strategy
Discrete Topographic Insertion: The extension utilizes an existing terrain depression along the gently sloping southern parcel, stepping down toward the waterfront to minimize visual impact and maintain open sightlines from the historic manor.
Horizontal Sky Canopy: A horizontal glass roof reflects the changing Nordic seasons and atmospheric light, providing panoramic lake views from within the gallery spaces.
Paradisiacal Garden Concept: Inspired by formal landscape traditions (such as the Parc de Sceaux), the architecture reinterprets Paul Olsson’s 1935 English-German garden layout, extending the park directly to the water's edge.
Stepped Programmatic Sequence
Following the natural slope toward Lake Melasjärvi, the interior program steps down sequentially across functional tiers:
Upper Level: Entrance, conference, and representation facilities.
Intermediate Level: Restaurant, kitchen infrastructure, and administrative offices.
Lower Level: Specialized collection storage, art handling logistics, and high-capacity exhibition galleries engineered for large-scale contemporary artworks.
Waterfront Edge: Exhibition spaces terminating at the banks of Lake Melasjärvi.
The expansion of the Serlachius Museum Gösta integrates 21st-century museological infrastructure into the historic Joenniemi Manor estate in Mänttä, Finland. Designed to accommodate large-scale contemporary art logistics without disrupting the site, the proposal establishes a subtle dialogue between Jarl Eklund’s 1935 Functionalist manor house, Paul Olsson’s formal garden, and the natural landscape of Lake Melasjärvi.
Architectural Concept & Site Strategy
Discrete Topographic Insertion: The extension utilizes an existing terrain depression along the gently sloping southern parcel, stepping down toward the waterfront to minimize visual impact and maintain open sightlines from the historic manor.
Horizontal Sky Canopy: A horizontal glass roof reflects the changing Nordic seasons and atmospheric light, providing panoramic lake views from within the gallery spaces.
Paradisiacal Garden Concept: Inspired by formal landscape traditions (such as the Parc de Sceaux), the architecture reinterprets Paul Olsson’s 1935 English-German garden layout, extending the park directly to the water's edge.
Stepped Programmatic Sequence
Following the natural slope toward Lake Melasjärvi, the interior program steps down sequentially across functional tiers:
Upper Level: Entrance, conference, and representation facilities.
Intermediate Level: Restaurant, kitchen infrastructure, and administrative offices.
Lower Level: Specialized collection storage, art handling logistics, and high-capacity exhibition galleries engineered for large-scale contemporary artworks.
Waterfront Edge: Exhibition spaces terminating at the banks of Lake Melasjärvi.
Client
Private
Program
Culture
Partner in charge
Toshihiro KUBOTA
Architects
Ikbal BOUAITA
Landscape Architect
Remy TURQUIN
Environmental Engineer
Øyvind VESSIA
Perspectives
JIGEN
Translation
Marietta Sanderink
Model
Model & co (Jean-Louis Courtois)
Private
Program
Culture
Partner in charge
Toshihiro KUBOTA
Architects
Ikbal BOUAITA
Landscape Architect
Remy TURQUIN
Environmental Engineer
Øyvind VESSIA
Perspectives
JIGEN
Translation
Marietta Sanderink
Model
Model & co (Jean-Louis Courtois)