Embark on a journey that weaves through Alvar Aalto’s architectural imagination, stretching across Finland to the cultural heart of Rovaniemi and the historic charm of Turku.
This tour unveils a world where concrete, glass, and nature blend into a seamless, beautiful continuum. Marvel at the bold modernism of Helsinki’s Finlandia Hall, and experience the tranquillity of Säynätsalo Town Hall, a gem nestled in Lakeland. In Rovaniemi, bear witness to the administrative and cultural prowess of the Aalto Centre, including Rovaniemi City Hall, the City Library, and Lappia House. Further south, explore Turku to discover Alvar and Aino Aalto’s early modern buildings, pioneering a new architectural era.
As you drift from the urban vibrancy of the capital to serene lakesides and historic cityscapes, let Aalto’s vision inspire a new understanding of harmony between built environments and nature.
Tour in brief: A nine-day journey encompassing the architectural marvels of Alvar Aalto in Finland’s key cities. This package offers a comprehensive experience including accommodations, select meals,
entrance fees to notable attractions, and insightful guided tours. Free time is allocated for personal exploration and shopping, promising a full immersion into Aalto’s world.
This experience is an intimate exploration of Aalto’s structural poetry: the University of Jyväskylä Campus, a testament to his genius. The serene Säynätsalo Town Hall. Then add the architectural allure of the Jyväskylä City Theatre, a stage for cultural narratives, and the spiritual resonance of Muurame Church.
Each visit isn’t to a site but to a story—a narrative shaped by Aalto’s dedication to innovation and elegance. Dive into the depths of architectural marvels and discover spaces that redefine the essence of form and function.
Discover Aalto’s diverse architectural phases in a three-day tour of the Jyväskylä region. From the early classicism to functionalism and from renowned Säynätsalo Town Hall’s architecture in brick to the Jyväskylä City Theatre’s monumentalism, this tour blends Aalto’s heritage with the Petäjävesi Old
Church’s heritage and the natural beauty of Lakeland, complemented by local hospitality.
Among the Aalto sites in Alajärvi, the town hall is the largest and most prominent. The building’s facade is dominated by the large windows of the council chamber and the minimalist white walls. Construction of the Alajärvi town hall began in 1966 and it was completed a year later. The most impressive parts of the terrain-adaptive office building are the lobby and the council chamber. The council chamber is taller than the rest of the building and is adorned with windows of various sizes and shapes that let in the rays of the morning and evening sun.
Alvar Aalto approached his buildings as total works of art, where furniture and lighting were also important elements of the design. In the council chamber of the Alajärvi town hall, there are furnishings, tables, chairs, and lamps designed by Aalto, as well as seating in the foyer.
Construction of the parish hall began in 1969 and it was completed a year later. The Japanese-influenced parish hall features a lot of open, bright, and unified space. The parish hall’s minimalist white style echoes other buildings in the Aalto Center, such as the town hall and the library. The Aalto Center comprises several buildings by Aalto, all within a short walking distance from each other. Together, the buildings of the Aalto Center form a unique ensemble.
Inside the parish hall, there is a lot of open space. Aalto’s interest in Japanese culture and architecture is evident in the interior aesthetics of the parish hall. The minimalist appearance of both the interior and exterior of the parish hall contrasts with the Alajärvi Church, designed by Carl Ludwig Engel, located behind the building. Although the styles of the buildings are completely different, their color schemes are similar.
The Alajärvi City Library is the last design project by the architectural firm Aalto & Co. The library was completed in 1991, with Heikki Tarkka serving as the chief architect. Elissa Aalto, Alvar Aalto’s spouse, who finalized several of Alvar Aalto’s unfinished buildings, also participated in the design work. In 1966, Alvar Aalto created a plan for an administrative center in Alajärvi, and the library building’s design is based on his site plan and model.
The library’s minimalist white style echoes other buildings in the Alajärvi Aalto Center, such as the town hall and the parish hall. The Aalto Center comprises several buildings by Aalto, all within a short walking distance from each other. The most striking feature of the library’s design is the undulating wooden ceiling panel. The different shades of wood, the wavy lines, and the spaciousness of the library hall create an organic and nature-inspired impression of the building.
In addition to library operations, the building also hosts rotating art exhibitions.
Aalto2 is a unique meeting place for architecture, design and cultural heritage in Jyväskylä in the heart of Central Finland. It combines two buildings designed by Alvar Aalto: the Museum of Central Finland and Alvar Aalto Museum. The Museum of Central Finland (1959–1961, 1991) focuses on the cultural history and heritage of Central Finland. The Alvar Aalto Museum (1971–73) belongs to the Alvar Aalto Foundation and is custodian of the material and intellectual legacy of the world-famous architect and designer. The museum buildings are connected by a new, light-filled section designed by A-Konsultit Architects. The new part (completed in 2023) houses the museums’ shared social area as well as the Aalto2 Shop and Café.
Aalto2 fulfils Alvar Aalto´s wish to create a forum that brings together a variety of artforms. The Aalto2 Museum Centre seamlessly combines architecture, design, cultural heritage, art and science. The Museum Centre puts on an interesting, multifaceted exhibition programme, as well as new events for different target groups. Find out more about the Aalto2 Museum Centre on our website. The Museum Centre’s multifunctional facilities are superbly suited to business meetings and evening events.
The Rovaniemi administrative and cultural center, Aalto center, is the only completed city center in Finland by Alvar Aalto, along with Seinäjoki.
The three buildings of the Aalto center – the library, Lappia Hall and the town hall – open like a fan shape towards the city center in a spacious park-like square. The library was the first to be completed in 1965. Lappia Hall was the last building that Alvar Aalto saw completed before his death. It was completed in two stages in 1972 and 1975. The design work of the town hall, completed in 1986, was led in Aalto’s office by his wife, architect Elissa Aalto.
The architectural highlights of the buildings are placed on the side of the square, where they form a spectacular entity. The upper windows of the library rise visibly from the rhythmically folded closed facade and bring natural light to the lending department. The upper parts of the stage halls of Lappia Hall rise like fells above the sleek facade line. In the town hall the council chamber has been formed like a crystalline tower, taller than the rest of the building.
In addition to the recognizable features of Aalto’s architecture, the buildings are bound together by the facade materials – light brick and ceramic tile. The materials for the interior of the buildings are well thought out, as are the furniture and lighting, which are partly from Artek’s collection, partly designed for the buildings by Aalto’s office.
The completion of the City Hall in 1986 completed Rovaniemi’s administrative and cultural center, the Aalto Center. Along with Seinäjoki, it is Alvar Aalto’s only completed civic center in Finland. The City Hall was designed based on Alvar Aalto’s sketches after his death under the direction of Elissa Aalto.
The building complex consists of several wings in different directions, which are dominated by the council hall with its sculptural tower part. In connection with the main entrance of the building, are the most important facilities of the town hall, such as the council hall, meeting rooms and the mayor’s room. In particular, the crystalline council hall stands out from the building complex as a tower higher than the rest of the building.
Like in the other buildings of Aalto Center, the interior of the City Hall consists, for example, of Lapland marble and natural-colored wood. The City Hall’s furniture and lighting are partly Artek’s production and partly designed for the building by Aalto’s office.
Kain Tapper’s environmental artwork “Birth of the Mountains” was placed in the square of the Aalto Center after the completion of the town hall in 1988.
Rovaniemi City Hall is closed for the time being due to renovations that are scheduled to be completed in 2026.
This seven-night tour allows you to discover the top cultural sights in Western Finland. You can begin your tour from Turku or Vaasa as both towns are connected to Sweden by car ferry (Viking Line, Tallink Silja or Wasaline). You may head in either direction and take the tour throughout the year. You can manage the duration and route according to your own timetable.
During this day tour you will learn about the history of Finnish aviation and get to admire a special Aalto destination in Vantaa. The Aviation Museum offers a lot to see and experience for both aviation enthusiasts and novices, and is ideal for a family trip. The museum displays approximately 70 aircrafts from different eras, as well as many other aviation-related artefacts such as engines and scale models. Visitors can get acquainted with travel, hobby and military Finnish aviation by touring the two large permanent exhibition halls and a third hall for changing exhibitions.
The architecturally significant terraced house complex Aerola, designed by Alvar Aalto, is also located in Vantaa, within the Veromies neighbourhood, and it is strongly linked to the history of the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The terraced houses were designed as apartments for the employees of Finnair’s predecessor Aero Oy, and they were built on Pyhtäänkorventie street during 1953–1955. Aerola’s terraced houses are also the only buildings designed by Aalto that are situated in Vantaa, and they are a valuable part of the city’s cultural heritage.
Nelimarkka Museum
The Nelimarkka Museum in Alajärvi was founded by the painter and professor Eero Nelimarkka (1891-1977) in 1964. The building was designed by his friend, the architect Hilding Ekelund. Since 1995 it has functioned as the Regional Art Museum of Southern Ostrobothnia. It focuses on displaying regional Ostrobothnian art, but art education also plays an important role in its activities.
Temporary exhibitions, workshops and events for visitors of all ages are organized regularly. Since the mid-1980s the museum has also run an international residency program for artists. In the summertime you can enjoy coffee and cake in the light atmosphere of the museum’s: “Café de Nelimarkka”. The museum shop is open year-round. You can book a customized tour or a workshop at the museum. The Nelimarkka museum maintains as well the nearby Villa Nelimarkka and Villa Väinölä, located in the centre of Alajärvi.
Villa Väinölä
Alvar Aalto designed Villa Väinölä as his brother’s home and office. It is said that Aalto drew the first version of the building after his honeymoon to Italy. Villa Väinölä’s original plan, sketched in 1925, was based on drawings made by Aalto of ancient roman atriums witnessed in Italy. However, the plan was found to be too expensive and visionary to implement, so Aalto simplified the design according to his brother’s wishes, and a more affordable version of the building was completed in 1926. Aalto also designed an outbuilding at the north end of the main building, which was completed in 1938.
Väinö Aalto and his family moved away from Alajärvi in the early 1950s, and in 1952, the municipality of Alajärvi bought Villa Väinölä. During the ownership of the municipality of Alajärvi, an additional wing was added to the southern end of the building, in order to function as a reception area for a doctor’s office that operated in the Villa at the time. Villa Väinölä has at one time hosted also a tax office, a dental office and leisure offices of the municipality of Alajärvi, as well as housing and building inspection offices. The ownership of the building was moved over to the Nelimarkka Museum in 2015.
The latest renovation of Villa Väinölä was completed in the spring of 2018, and it was financed with the help of the National Board of Antiquities, Aisapari and the City of Alajärvi. Exhibitions, events and architectural residencies are currently organised at Villa Väinölä. Through the Nelimarkka Museum, the building can also be booked for meetings and private parties.
The Alajärvi Youth Association building from 1920 is one of the buildings designed by Alvar Aalto during his studies. It is also his first public building design. Construction work was carried out quickly, and the building is still in use nowadays. The current Youth Association building, that was formerly the Defence Corps building, was completed in 1920, and it was inaugurated on November 28. Until 1946, the building housed the local Defence Corps and Lotta Svärd departments. In 1946, the building was bought by the Youth Association club, that still owns it.
The log building is in Neoclassical style. The outer walls are covered in vertical wooden boards, and the open high roof gives the building a castle-like feel. Cross beams support the ceiling of the main hall; the elevation is so high that there is enough space for a theatre stage and an orchestra balcony. The building is topped by a Carolean lantern on the roof, which is reminiscent of the bell tower of a church. The two side wings originally embraced a small courtyard of honour, that has since been replaced by a built-in vestibule.
The Youth Association building is located along Sairaalatie street, close to the centre of Alajärvi. However, the building has been largely rebuilt due to a fire damaging it in 1983. The Youth Association building was restored to its original form during the renovation work, and the inauguration of the new house was held in 1985. The Alajärvi Youth Association Club maintains and renovates the building within the limitations of the received funding and grants.
The Alajärvi Youth Association Club also offers the possibility of renting the building. The premises of the Youth Association building provide a great setting for organising parties and other events such as weddings and birthdays, meetings and concerts. The premises are well suited for gatherings of about 30-100 people.