Amos Rex Art Museum
History and Architecture
The Amox Rex is a new underground art museum designed by Finnish studio JKMM in Helsinki, Finland. It is an expanded and versatile form of Amos Anderson Art Museum, which was opened for the public in 1965. Initially, there were exhibitions of only old art collection mainly owned privately by the donor Amos Anderson, a Finnish newspaper, and publishing magnate, and an admirer of art and culture.
In 2018, the museum shifted to a 13,000 square-meter (13,9930.84 square-foot) glass palace called Lasipalatsi. It is a functionalist-style building designed by Viljo Revell, Niilo Kokko, and Heimo Riihimäki in the 1930s.
It is present in the center of the city, surrounded by Helsinki's history, which includes, Stockmann department store, Steven Holl's Kiasma museum, K2S's Kamppi chapel, and Johan Sigfrid Sirén's neoclassical parliament building.
Ever since it shifted, certain changes have been made in the architecture of Lasipalatsi historical building. The building contains the museum's lobby, administration offices, a shop, a cafe, and a restaurant. The former Bio Rex cinema hall of Lasipalatsi was also converted into a 590-seats auditorium.
The entrance of the museum is across the Lasipalatsi on Mannerheimintie. The entrance hall's stairs lead to the upper part of the Bio Rex Cinema and Auditorium's lobby, which is restored in its original form, with the wall colors and furnishings of the 1930s. The slightly undulated roof of the expansion is famous among children and youngsters, dominated by an old chimney dating back to 1936. There is a series of funnel-shaped skylights that pours daylight into the lower galleries.
Inside the museum, the main gallery is a large column-free structure topped by a ferroconcrete dome, covered with hundreds of white acoustic disks, which turn it into a giant projector screen for immersive multimedia connections. The beauty of the dome seduces the visitors from outside to pay a visit to the museum. Black hardwood blocks are used to design the floor. The design of the museum is flexible and can be easily modified for future forms of art.
We can clearly say that the restoration of modern Lasipalatsi is done with details and great care. All the colors and materials are chosen precisely, following the original theme. The renovation rejoices the original design while the new additional furniture is clearly modern and contemporary.
Collection and Exhibitions
Originally the museum was dedicated to displaying Finnish and Swedish post-impressionist artworks of the 19th and 20th centuries, but now it also focuses on international contemporary art. It has three galleries, one for the museum's regular exhibitions, and the other two for special exhibitions. In special exhibitions, usually contemporary and modern international art is displayed. In the special exhibitions' galleries, art workshops, guide tours, educational programs, and special events are also organized.
From a cultural and architectural perspective, we can conclude that the Amos Rex museum is a truly amazing new center for the visual arts. You will definitely have a great time visiting this museum.