Johan Wijesinghe
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Retsin Architecture
Forests have long been entangled with the evolution of architecture, serving as both structure and symbol—shaping vernacular typologies, economies, and cultural landscapes. The Helsinki National Museum Annex, designed by Gilles Retsin Architecture with Kevin Saey and myself, takes inspiration from the Finnish boathouse into a robotically manufactured timber system. In contrast to the museum’s heavy masonry, the annex is a lightweight, prefabricated extension, embedding structure, mechanical systems, and environmental performance into a singular architectural strategy.
Positioned partially underground, the annex expands exhibition and event spaces while the visible volume forms an extra-thick A-frame, balancing on a minimal number of columns. Rather than traditional post-and-beam construction, V-shaped interlocking CLT modules merge structural and mechanical functions, eliminating the need for secondary infrastructure. Locally sourced Finnish CLT, prefabricated and robotically cut, aligns regional production with industrialized workflows, reducing waste and accelerating assembly. The black ceramic-edged timber surface integrates cladding, drainage, and enclosure into a high-performance system.
Gilles Retsin and I worked to develop the logic for volumetric assembly to for exhibtion spaces.
Drawings
Helsinki:
Architect: Gilles Retsin Architecture
Team: Gilles Retsin, Johan Wijesinghe, Kevin Saey, Nadia Saki, Keshav Ramaswami, YenFen Huang