About the Museum
The Museum of Finnish architecture was established in 1956 and is the second oldest museum focused on architecture to be founded (after Moscow). The photographic collection of the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), which was established in 1949, was the base for its initial permanent collection. Its mission is to collect and distribute knowledge about architecture and to bring awareness to the subject. It focuses largely on post-1900 architecture. The permanent collection includes drawings, architectural models and photographs, and it also organizes exhibitions on Finnish and international architecture that travel internationally. It also has an extensive research library and research unit associated with it. The museum is housed in a Neoclassical building that was designed by Magnus Schjerfbeck and finished in 1899. Originally used by the University of Helsinki, the museum made it their home in 1981.
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