What happens in Siida during the renewal?
The Siida Building that was opened in 1998 is extended and renovated in 2020–2022. In this project, Siida gets museum and nature centre premises that fulfil modern demands both technically and operationally. The extension covers approximately 1400 m², increasing Siida’s area by about half.
The present main building is extended by new, modern collection facilities for the Sámi Museum that also have room for the Sámi items that the National Museum of Finland will repatriate. The restaurant gets completely new and more functional facilities in a separate wing. The extension parts are completed in the spring of 2021.
The renovation of the present Siida Building starts after the extension wings have been finished. In connection with the renovation, Siida’s entrance hall, for example, is extended and the personnel gets new working facilities. The present main permanent exhibition is dismantled and replaced by a new one. The new exhibition “Enâmeh láá mii párnááh – These lands are our children” will be finished in May 2022.
You can follow the building of the exhibition and the progress of Siida’s extention and renovation on social media.
What services will Siida offer during the renewal?
During the extension phase, 1.5.2020–30.4.2021, you can visit Siida as earlier.
1.5.–31.5.2021 The Siida Building, Siida’s Customer Service, Siida Shop, Metsähallitus’s Customer Service and Tourist Information are all closed.
1.6.2021–31.5.2022 Siida’s Customer Service, Siida Shop, Metsähallitus’s Customer Service and Tourist Information serve visitors in temporary facilities in the Siida area. Restaurant Sarrit serves visitors in the new restaurant wing. Siida’s Open-Air Museum is open for visitors. The indoor facilities of the Siida Building are closed.
From 1 June 2022 on, Siida’s Customer Service, Siida Shop, Metsähallitus’s Customer Service and Tourist Information all serve the public in the renovated Siida Building. Siida’s new exhibitions are open for visitors.
Opening hours: https://siida.fi/en/visitors/
The Sámi Museum Siida’s Collection and Information Service is closed 1.1.2020–31.7.2022.
Is Siida open during renovation?
Opening hours: https://siida.fi/en/visitors/
Is Siida accessible during renovation?
During Siida’s renovation, 1.6.2021–31.5.2022, our exhibitions will be in the Open-Air Museum. The Open-Air Museum is not an accessible destination for visitors. Restaurant Sarrit, the customer services, Siida Shop and Tourist Information can be accessed during the renovation by using a ramp.
Why is Siida being renovated?
The Siida Building – inaugurated in 1998 – is renovated to meet the needs of an increased number of operations and higher visitor numbers. During the renovation, Siida gets museum and nature centre premises that fulfil modern demands both technically and operationally. The project covers approximately 3000 m², increasing Siida’s area by about half. Above all, the project provides new, proper collection facilities for the Sámi Museum. With an extension of the Collections Unit, the new facilities will enable the Sámi Museum to continue as a national museum responsible for its special field. After renovation, the Sámi Museum will receive a repatriation of the Sámi collections of the National Museum of Finland (over 2000 items).
The permanent exhibitions of the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida have served us well for more than twenty years. The old cultural-ecological exhibition has been both popular and widely praised.
The new exhibition will present points of view on Sámi culture and society as well as northern nature that are considered important today. The technical solutions of the new exhibition will enable us to update the content of our exhibitions easier in future.
When will Siida’s new exhibition open?
The new exhibition “Enâmeh láá mii párnááh – These lands are our children” will be opened on 1 June 2022. As earlier, it will be a joint exhibition of the Sámi Museum and the Nature Centre that knits the contents dealing with culture and nature together into one whole.
When will the public be able to look at the items that will be repatriated to the Land of the Sámi?
The National Museum of Finland houses a large collection of Sámi items, and its artefacts will be repatriated to the collections of the Sámi Museum Siida in the autumn of 2021. The repatriation comprises over 2000 items and is, in terms of its size, noteworthy even internationally. Some of the items will be displayed in Siida’s new exhibition from April 2022 on. Those interested in the items can contact Siida’s collections unit in advance in order to examine them in the new collection facilities from August 2022 on. You can also browse the collections of the Sámi Museum online by using the Finna search service of museums, archives and libraries at https://siida.finna.fi/ and look at the 3D models of the items on the Sketchfab website at https://sketchfab.com/SamiMuseumSiida.
Who are planning and carrying out Siida’s extension and renovation and the renewal of exhibitions?
The main planning and the architectural design of Siida’s extension and renovation project has been entrusted to Architects Soini & Horto Ltd from Helsinki, with Senate Properties as the developer. Rekonen Ltd is the main entrepreneur of the extensions with LVI-Vanhatalo Oy as the HVAC entrepreneur and Keskus-Veljet Oy as the electrical entrepreneur. Rakennusliike Sakela Oy is the main entrepreneur of the renovation project with LVI-Vanhatalo Oy as the HVAC entrepreneur and Keskus-Veljet Oy as the electrical entrepreneur.
Harri Koskinen from Friends of Industry Ltd is the main designer of Siida’s new exhibition. The exhibition project is managed by Eeva Kyllönen from the Sámi Museum and Kirsi Ukkonen from Metsähallitus. Professor Veli-Pekka Lehtola has responsibility for the manuscript of the cultural part of the new exhibition, with the Sámi community strongly engaged in the exhibition work. The manuscript for the nature part is created by Biologist Matti Mela. Mela also did the nature manuscript of the earlier permanent exhibition.
Where does the funding for the new exhibition come from?
The renewel of the cultural part of Siida’s main exhibition has been funded by Kone Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation / Museum Vision and Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. The Sámi Museum is also running a Sámi Interreg project called Muittut, muitalusat – The Story of the Sámi that aims at renewing the permanent exhibitions.
Metsähallitus received full funding for the renewal of the nature part from the amending budget of the state.