Aalto2 Museum Centre opens, fulfilling Alvar Aalto’s vision in Jyväskylä
The Aalto2 Museum Centre opens, connecting the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland in Jyväskylä, the legendary Finnish architect’s home town

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The Aalto2 Museum Centre is the latest addition to Jyväskylä's rich cultural offering. It was there that legendary Finnish modernist architecture master Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) created the Museum of Central Finland (completed in 1961, and later thrice renovated) and the Alvar Aalto Museum (1971-73), standing next to each other, representing his 'white' era. Now, Aalto2 is set to further articulate the architect's powerful creative vision, connecting the two adjacent structures.
Jyväskylä, 270km north of Helsinki, is Aalto’s home town, and a must-see destination for architecture, design and culture enthusiasts, as it is also home to the largest number of Aalto-designed buildings in the world. There are 29 in total, including the Säynätsalo Town Hall (1949-52), the University of Jyväskylä (1951-71), Muurame Church (1926-29), Jyvaskyla Worker’s Club (1924-25), and Muuratsalo Experimental House (1952-54). Meanwhile, his otherworldly Finnish Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair was hailed as the 'work of genius' by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Aalto2 Museum Centre: a vision fulfilled
Aalto2 fulfills Aalto's wish of creating a forum to showcase a variety of art forms. In fact, in his first proposal for the Jyväskylä Art Museum (later the Alvar Aalto Museum), he envisioned a connecting corridor between the two neighbouring institutions, as evidenced in a 1971 drawing.
The extension design that opened to the public this week was created by Helsinki-based A-Konsultit Architects (also behind the renovation of both museums). It has turned the gap with a geometric pool and landscaped garden between the museums into a courtyard. Courtyards became Aalto’s signature element after he saw people socialising in piazzas in small Italian villages. Behind the extension is another newly created small outdoor gathering space with rectangular stone benches for various activities, such as school children’s meetings.
The interior is a clean, white open space with straight lines seamlessly fusing the two museums on both ends. Its functionalities are multilayered and enhance the visitor experience. It improves accessibility to both museums, and houses the gift shop, the café-restaurant, and the space for events with a wide staircase doubling as an amphitheatre-like seating (another Aalto signature feature inspired by the ancient Greek theatre of Pergamon).
Visitors to Aalto2 are treated to three new exhibitions. The opening show of Aalto2, 'World Heritage – Human Traces', jointly produced by the two museums, is a grand tour of tangible and intangible heritage, accompanied by photos and detailed descriptions. It consists of five sub-exhibitions: World Heritage, Celebrities, Finnish Sauna Culture, Finland and the World, and The Moderns, each diving into its theme. It was curated and designed by the Finnish-Spanish architectural duo Anna and Eugeni Bach.
The permanent exhibition of the Museum of Central Finland, a regional cultural history museum, 'Exploring Central Finland', takes visitors on a journey across the rich, unique spirit of Central Finland from prehistoric times to this day, with objects to see, memories to listen to, a film to watch, and more. One of the highlights is a working jukebox from the 1960s.
The new permanent exhibition at the Alvar Aalto Museum, 'AALTO – Work and Life', presents the architect's body of work through his philosophy, drawings, materials, processes, models and end-results.
The show also highlights works by his wives and collaborators, Aino Aalto (1894–1949) and Elissa Aalto (1922–94); as well as vital collaborators such as Otto Korhonen, a carpenter and factory owner from 1920s, for furniture; Viljo Hirvonen, a metalsmith master electrician from 1950s, for lighting fixtures; and ceramics companies like Kupittaa Clay and Arabia Ceramic Factory for tiles. Mari Murtoniemi, chief curator of the Alvar Aalto Museum, said: 'Aalto was a designer, and absolutely needed the talents and skills of those material experts to realise his designs.'
The exhibition also showcases, for the first time in the museum’s history, illustrations and book cover designs from the architect's 1920s. These supplemented his income while he was building up his architecture commissions.
Aalto believed that architecture and good design can solve problems in human life and society, as it is the architect’s duty to serve the everyday, and us all. This democratic design principle helped Finland lift its peoples’ spirits and face the daily realities of life after a series of wars since the country's independence in 1917. This principle is amplified in Aalto2 as it welcomes everyone of any age and background to immerse themselves in its well-curated, multifaceted programme of exhibitions and events.
Aalto2 is part of the 125th anniversary celebrations commemorating Alvar Aalto’s birth.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Naomi Moriyama is a contributing writer for Wallpaper*. She is co-author of ‘The Sisterhood of the Enchanted Forest: Sustenance, Wisdom & Awakening in Finland's Karelia,’ which explains, through personal journeys, how connections to nature and democratic design principles have helped make Finland the world’s happiest nation. She also co-authored three books on the health benefits of traditional Japanese foods. Naomi is a Tokyo-born New Yorker who spends much time in Helsinki.
-
New London restaurant Pollini opens at Ladbroke Hall with interiors by Vincenzo De Cotiis
Architect Vincenzo De Cotiis and chef Emanuele Pollini create Pollini, Ladbroke Hall's new restaurant
By Malaika Byng Published
-
Terra Carta Design Lab announces second edition
For the Terra Carta Design Lab’s second edition, students and recent alumni are invited to design high-impact, low-cost solutions to address the climate crisis
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
How to conquer the Atomic City: the story behind U2 at the new Las Vegas Sphere
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere redefines the 21st-century rock concert. We spoke to the band and its team about the genesis of this expansive art and music experience that marks the opening of the high-tech venue
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Help save the Church of The Three Crosses by Alvar Aalto in Imatra, Finland
The Church of The Three Crosses in Imatra, one of master modernist Alvar Aalto's works, is in danger; Tiina Laakkonen has set up a fundraiser to help save it
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Welcome to Chappe: Finland's 'pocket sized' house of art
Chappe, a new art house in southern Finland designed by JKMM, punches above its weight
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Nordic architecture explored in Share, a book about contemporary building
Discussions about Nordic architecture and contemporary practice meet in a new book by Artifice, Share: Conversations about Contemporary Architecture – The Nordic Countries
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Helsinki’s Pikku-Finlandia temporary event space is a student project come to life
Pikku-Finlandia, a sustainable, temporary wood event space, has opened to the public in Helsinki – and it’s born of the ambitious thesis of two students, Jaakko Torvinen and Elli Wendelin, featured in Wallpaper’s 2022 Graduate Directory
By Nasra Abdullahi Last updated
-
Jaakko Torvinen and Elli Wendelin design transportable wooden building
Our Next Generation 2022 showcase shines a light on 22 outstanding graduates from around the globe. Here, we profile architecture graduates Jaakko Torvinen and Elli Wendelin from Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland
By Nasra Abdullahi Last updated
-
Contemporary cabins for modern minimalists
From North Europe's thick forests to the vast green expanses of the USA, tour some of the best architectural cabins
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Optimise your living space with this modular Finnish cabin design
A collaboration between architecture studio Puisto and design companies Made By Choice and Protos Demos, Space of Mind is a contemporary modular Finnish cabin providing a much needed opportunity to pause, think and make the most of our home experience
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Take a virtual reality tour of Alvar Aalto's Helsinki studio
Helsinki is betting big on its tech design scene as it looks ahead to a post-COVID world
By Elly Parsons Last updated