It would be an honour for any architect to be able to have their their work embellish an Alvar Aalto construction. So when entries opened for a competition for international architects to design the new extension for the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland, it was little surprise that a record-breaking 689 entries were submitted.
The competition sought to find solutions that would act as a connecting element between the two existing Aalto buildings, whilst also developing and evolving the surrounding locale of Jyväskylä’s Ruusupuisto park.
The first prize was awarded yesterday, to coincide with Aalto's birthday. The jury panel – comprising nine members including Alvar Aalto Foundation director Tommi Lindh; and Esko Eriksson, the city of Jyväskylä's real estate director – chose a Finnish project titled ‘Silmu’ as the victor ('Silmu' is Finnish for leaf bud).
The young architectural team – consisting of Sini Rahikainen, Hannele Cederström, Inka Norros, Kirsti Paloheimo and Maria Kleimola – won the jury over with their ‘delicate yet powerful form language’, catering to the panel's requirement of creating a ‘seamless link’ between the two iconic buildings while showing sensitivity towards the cultural environment.
Second place was awarded to another Finnish firm, with a submission coined ‘Kannel’; while Australian-Spanish practice SMAR Architecture Studio secured third place with the ‘The Ground and the Roof’.
'The high-end entries stand out from the rest with their clear, striking ideas and formal properties,' says Lindh. 'The best thing about "Silmu" was its atmosphere and the subtle contours.' The top three asides, two other entries were also awarded a monetary prize, with an additional two submissions receiving honourable mentions.
Another Finnish architecture group secured second place with a project named ‘Kannel’ – Finnish for ’kantele’ or ’zither’
Third place was awarded to the Australian-Spanish SMAR Architecture Studio with a design titled ‘The Ground and the Roof’
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Alvar Aalto Museum’s website
ADDRESS
Alvar Aalto Museum
Alvar Aallon katu 7
FI-40600 Jyväskylä
-
Vanessa Seward on her new vision for Begg x Co, the Scottish knitwear brand with over a century of historyAs the new creative director of Begg x Co, Parisian designer Vanessa Seward wants to harness the ‘beauty and quality’ of its knits to make it ‘the go-to luxury brand for Scottish cashmere’
-
This Salento monastery becomes the backdrop for a celebration of local craft‘Intrecci•Intertwinings’ (on view until 14 September 2025) features contemporary designs made from materials and techniques from the Salento region, also known as the ‘heel’ of Italy
-
Bathing is New York’s latest wellness obsession – Lore is making waves in the spaceOpening in NoHo this autumn, bathing club Lore is the hottest (and coldest) new spot for a plunge and sauna
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthWallpaper* has spotlighted an array of remarkable architecture in the past month – from a pink desert home to structures that appears to float above the ground. These are the houses and buildings that most captured our attention in August 2025
-
Maison Louis Carré, the only Alvar Aalto house in France, reopens after restorationDesigned by the modernist architect in the 1950s as the home of art dealer Louis Carré, the newly restored property is now open to visit again – take our tour
-
A guide to modernism’s most influential architectsFrom Bauhaus and brutalism to California and midcentury, these are the architects who shaped modernist architecture in the 20th century
-
You’ll soon be able to get a sneak peek inside Peter Zumthor’s LACMA expansionBut you’ll still have to wait another year for the grand opening
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: celebrating architectural projects that restore, rebalance and renewAs we welcome 2025, the Wallpaper* Architecture Awards look back, and to the future, on how our attitudes change; and celebrate how nature, wellbeing and sustainability take centre stage
-
Alvar Aalto: our ultimate guide to architecture's father of gentle modernismAlvar Aalto defined midcentury – and Finnish – architecture like no other, creating his own, distinctive brand of gentle modernism; honouring him, we compiled the ultimate guide
-
Design Awards 2025: Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall is a modernist gem reborn through sustainability and accessibilityHelsinki's Finlandia Hall, an Alvar Aalto landmark design, has been reborn - highlighting sustainability and accessibility in a new chapter for the modernist classic
-
Exclusive first look: Katajanokan Laituri sets a new standard for timber architectureKatajanokan Laituri, a new building in the historic Kauppatori market district of Helsinki, is made from around 7,500 cubic metres of wood, cementing Finland’s position as leader in sustainable architecture, construction and urban development
