In 2018, the Exhibition Centre WeeGee focused on design and architecture, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Futuro House

The Espoo City Museum KAMU’s exhibition A Shattered Life – Espoo in the Finnish Civil War highlighted the stories of some Espoo residents during the Finnish Civil War. The Finnish Museum of Horology unveiled A Century of Gifts – Kultakeskus 100 Years, a special exhibition that dives into the exciting story of the largest manufacturer of precious metal products in the Nordic countries. The Finnish Toy Museum Hevosenkenkä continued with its special exhibition A Housewarming and celebrated the 60-year-old Lego brick throughout the autumn season. EMMA’s ample offering of exhibition for example included a Meret Oppenheim retrospective, exhibitions put together from different collections, and Outi Pieski’s award exhibition.

To celebrate the 50-year jubilee of the Futuro House, WeeGee offered a versatile programme themed around design and architecture and participated both in the Helsinki Festival and the Helsinki Design Week. The weekend-long Design + WeeGee event was also held for the first time.

Futuro is not only an iconic elliptical plastic house designed by architect Matti Suuronen but also a work of art renowned in the field of visual arts across the globe. The Exhibition Centre WeeGee has acquired the first ever mass-produced Futuro (no. 001) which is open to public every summer. In celebration of its 50-year jubilee, visual artist and film director Mika Taanila built a sound installation called Plastic Heart inside the Futuro House, while Studio Suuronen housed an exhibition called Futuro World 50 Years. Lectures and talks were also held during the jubilee.

The traditional Children’s Museum Festival attracted a record-breaking number of visitors once again. Its theme was “Building party for the whole family”, and more than 8,000 people attended. WeeGee’s Espoo Day programme attracted 4,000 visitors. The first ever Xmas Design Market WeeGee was visited by 5,700 people.

Café WeeGee underwent changes during the summer. The restaurant’s bold atmosphere and timeless look were designed by the creative agency Aivan.

The Exhibition Centre WeeGee combines architecture, exhibitions, a restaurant, a museum shop and customer services to create a high-quality overall experience for all visitors.

WeeGee’s opening hours will be extended in 2019. The exhibition centre will continue to offer free entrance on Friday evenings from 17 o’clock onwards. On the first Friday of every month, WeeGee will stay open until 21.