Designmuseo

About this Museum

The Designmuseo (or the Design Museum Helsinki) is the oldest museum of applied art and design in the Nordic countries, and one of the first in its field in all of Europe. It was founded in 1872 in Helsinki by the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design, with the goal of supporting applied arts training in the Grand Duchy of Finland, which was then undergoing a period of rapid industrialization. In 1989, Designmuseo became an independent foundation.

The museum was originally located on Nikolai Street in Helsinki and has called several other locations home—all within the city center—prior to claiming its permanent residence at Korkeavuorenkatu 23 in 1979. In addition to its main building, the museum also boasts satellite locations, including the Design Museum Arabia, Design Museum Iittala, and Design Museum Nuutajärvi, all of which were established as collections of Finnish artisanal factories and became part of Designmuseo in 2005. Designmuseo researches, collects, documents, and displays design in Finland and in international touring exhibitions. It holds the national design collection, and, along with its exhibitions, offers a wide range of activities and events for visitors.

Today, the museum’s collection consists of approximately 75,000 objects, 125,000 photographs, and 45,000 drawings, as well as other archival materials. Standouts include works by the Finnish design brands Arabia, Marimekko, Iittala, Nuutajärvi, and The Friends of Finnish Handicraft, as well as objects by designers such as Timo Sarpaneva, Kaj Franck, Paavo Tynell, Dora Jung, and Ilmari Tapiovaara.