Address: Koulukatu 21, 60100 Seinäjoki, Finland Open Google map
Entrance fee: Free entry
Themes: Civic centers, Cultural buildings, Libraries
Website: Alvar Aalto in Seinäjoki
Opening hours
Tuesday - Friday 10 am – 7 pm
Saturday 10 am – 3 pm
Library is closed on Sundays and during holiday. Library is closed on Christmas Eve.
Midweek holiday the library is open 10 am to 5 pm.
Check the opening times also from Seinäjoki library webpage for possible exceptions.
Tuesday - Thursday 10 am – 7 pm
Friday 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday - Sunday closed.
Library is closed on Midsummer eve.
The Seinäjoki Library was designed as a part of the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki and the building completed in 1965. Originally the public and other working spaces were mainly located on the ground floor of the building whereas storage and exhibition spaces were located downstairs. Aalto also designed the main part of the built in fixtures, furniture and light fixtures as a part of the entity of the building.
Aalto’s library functioned as the main library of the city until 2012. In 2012 the new main library Apila was completed and Aalto’s library was connected to it with a under ground passage. Aalto’s library was renovated to its original state during 2012-2015. The renovation was considered to be a great success and an example to other renovation projects. Also the furniture and the lighting for the reading room were restored during the renovation and were then installed in their original locations. Nowadays the regional collections, genealogy and a separate children’s literature department operate in the library. Arts, architecture, history and ethnology literature is also placed in Aalto’s library.
Aalto’s Seinäjoki library also has an important collection of design glass by Aino and Alvar Aalto on display in the library’s original magazine reading room. The collection is owned by the city of Seinäjoki.
Aalto’s Seinäjoki library has a very simplified façade and the strips of windows that are covered with slats dominate it. It is considered to represent a free-form hall library type. A lot of attention was given to the lighting of the building and especially in capitalizing the natural daylight. The lending desk is located right in the middle of the building. Behind it Aalto designed a lowered reading space which is a typical feature in Aalto’s libraries. The layout of the building combines forms of a rectangle and a fan, which also plays an important role in the surveillance of the building.
The Aalto Library in Seinäjoki has recently been renovated. Photo: Katja Lösönen, Visit Seinäjoki
Library and Theatre at The Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki. Photo: Katja Lösönen, Visit Seinäjoki
Aalto's Seinäjoki library was renovated to its original state during 2012-2015. The renovation was considered to be a great success and an example to other renovation projects. Also the furniture and the lighting for the reading room were restored during the renovation and were then installed in their original locations.
Information for visitors
Good to know
Arriving to Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is located approximately 400 kilometres away from Helsinki. From Helsinki you can reach Seinäjoki with a train or by Onnibus or by Matkahuolto bus. Travellers can reach the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki easily, because trains arrive right in the heart of the town. Seinäjoki also has a good public transport system. Aalto’s library is located on Koulukatu 21, approximately 200 meters away from the Travel Centre in Seinäjoki. You can reach the staff of the library by calling +358 6 416 2638. You can reach Seinäjoki taxi service by calling +358 100 84 999.
Read and hear more about Alvar Aalto and the attractions in Seinäjoki
Read more about Aalto sights in Seinäjoki on the Visit Seinäjoki tourism site
Further information
Travel programs and guided tours in Seinäjoki region with Visit Lakeus Oy Inquiries via email sales@visitlakeus.fi or by calling +358 (0)6 420 9090.