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Alvar Aalto Buildings : Architecture

20th Century Finnish Architecture Practice

post updated 21 January 2023

Alvar Aalto : main page with news + building images

Venice Biennale Finnish Pavilion design by architect Alvar Aalto:

photograph © AJ Welch

Alvar Aalto Buildings – Details

FINLAND

Alajärvi Buildings

Youth Society Building, Sairaalatie
1919

Alajärvi Hospital, Sairaalatie
1924-28

Villa Väinölä, Väinöntie
1926

Alajärvi Health Centre, Alvar Aallon tie 2
1966-70

Alajärvi Town Hall, Alvar Aallon tie 1
1966-69

Alajärvi Parish Centre, Alvar Aallon tie 3
1966-70

Helsinki Buildings

Aalto House, Riihitie 20, Munkkiniemi, 00330 Helsinki
1935-36
Guided tours: riihitie@alvaraalto.fi
Tram 4 from Helsinki, last stop at Munkkiniemi

Studio Aalto, Tiilimäki 20, 00330 Helsinki
1954-55, 1962-63
Reservation recommended: studio@alvaraalto.fi
Tram 4 from Helsinki, get off at ‘Tiilimäki’

Savoy Restaurant – Interior, Eteläesplanadi 14
1937

Finnish Engineering Society Building, Ratakatu 9
1948-52

National Pensions Institute, Nordenskiöldinkatu 12
1948-57
Daily Tours

Rautatalo Office Building, Keskuskatu 3
1951-55

House of Culture, Sturenkatu 4
1952-58

Enzo Gutzeit Headquarters, Kanavaranta 1, central Helsinki
1959-62

Union Bank of Finland, Fabianinkatu 31
1960-65

Academic Bookshop, Pohjoisesplanadi 39
1961-69

Finlandia Hall, Mannerheimintie 13
1962/1967-75
Finlandia Hall – www.finlandiatalo.fi
Location: a few minutes northwest from Helsinki centre
Entrance fee – guided tour: infoshop@finlandiatalo.fi

Electric Power Company Administrative Building, Kampinkuja 2
1965-76

Jyväskylä Buildings

Nuora House, Taulumäentie 1
1923-24

Workers’ Club, Väinönkatu 7
1924-25
Visits by appointment – Admission fee
Enquiries: Workers’ Association in Jyväskylä
Key very early Aalto building, not Modern but ideas emerging

Aira Apartment Building, Tapionkatu 2
1924-26
Block of flats for railway workers

Defence Corps Building, Kilpisenkatu 8
1926-29

Säynätsalo Town Hall, Parviaisentie 9, Säynätsalo
1949-52
Location: 15 km from Jyväskylä
Opening Times vary
Enquiries: Säynätsalo Town Hall – www.jyvaskyla.fi/saynatsalo
Buses 16 & 16M from Kauppatori, Jyväskylä Market Place to Säynätsalo every
1/2 hour
Säynätsalo Town Hall located in centre of Säynätsalo island
Two single guest rooms ‘Alvari’ and ‘Elissa’ available
Enquiries Säynätsalo Town Hall: saynatsalo.aalto@jkl.fi

Jyväskylä University – various buildings, Seminaarinkatu 15
pirjo.vuorinen@jyu.fi
Jyväskylä University – www.jyu.fi/tdk/museo/guidel

Teachers’ Training School
1952-54

Students’ Hall of Residence
1952-54

Main Building
1954-56

Aalto-Alvari Swimming Pool, Pitkäkatu 1
1954-56; 1964; several alterations

Physical Education Building, Keskussairaalantie 2
1971

Muuratsalo Experimental House, Säynätsalo
1952-54
Location: 20 km from Jyväskylä
Summer house of Aalto
open Jun 2 – Sep 15
Visiting allowed only with the guide
Admission fee
Enquiries: Alvar Aalto Museum
museum@alvaraalto.fi

Museum of Central Finland, Alvar Aallon katu 7
1956-61; 1991
ksmuseo.info@jkl.fi
Admission fee
Permanent exhibitions present history and culture of Jyväskylä area

Viitatorni, Viitaniementie 16
1960-61

Jyväskylä Administrative & Cultural Centre
1964 –

Jyväskylä – former Central Police Station, Kilpisenkatu 1
1970

Jyväskylä City Theatre, Vapaudenkatu 36
1964-82
Ticket office: kaupunginteatteri@jkl.fi

Jyväskylä Office Building, Hannikaisenkatu 17
1975-78
Open Mon-Fri 8-16.00

Alvar Aalto Museum, Alvar Aallon katu 7
1971-73
museum@alvaraalto.fi
Admission fee

Muurame Church, Muurame
1926-29
Location: 20 km from Jyväskylä
Open Jun 2 – Aug 15 other times by arrangement
Enquiries: Parish of Muurame

Turku Buildings

Southwestern Finland Agricultural Co-operative Building, Humalistonkatu 7
1927-28

Standard Apartment Building, Läntinen Pitkäkatu 20
1927-28

Turun Sanomat – Newspaper Building & Offices, Kauppiaskatu 5, central Turku
1928-29
Key Alvar Aalto building which features in many architectural history books

Rovaniemi Buildings

Korkalovaara Housing Area, Korkalovaara
1956-60

Koskikatu Residential & Commercial Building, Koskikatu 18
1958-59

Koskikatu Residential & Commercial Building, Koskikatu 20
1960-62

Jaakonkatu Residential & Commercial Building, Jaakonkatu 3
1962-63

Rovaniemi Adminitsrative & Cultural Centre
1961-87

Rovaniemi Library , Jorma Eton tie 6
1961-66

Rovaniemi Town Hall, Hallituskatu 7
1963-88
Open Mon-Fri 8-16

Lappia Hall, Jorma Eton tie 8 A
1969-76
Visits by appointment

Seinäjoki Buildings

Defence Corps Building / Museum, Kauppakatu 17
1924-26
Opening Times + Admission varies

Seinäjoki Administrative & Cultural Centre
1951-88

The Cross of the Plains Church, Koulukatu 24
1951-60
Open May – Aug

Seinäjoki Parish Centre, Koulukatu 24
1951-66
Open Mon-Fri 9-15

Seinäjoki Town Hall, Kirkkokatu 6
1958-60
Open Mon-Fri 9-15

Seinäjoki Library, Koulukatu 21
1960-65
Open generally Mon-Fri 10-19, Sat 11-15

Seinäjoki Office Building, Kirkkokatu 8
1964-68
Open Mon-Fri 8-16

Seinäjoki City Theatre, Alvar Aallon katu 12
1961-87
Visits by appointment

Espoo Buildings

Helsinki University of Technology, Otaniemi, Otakaari 1
1949-76
Main building; Library; Shopping Centre; Water tower

Tapiola Apartment Buildings, Harjuviita, Tapiola
Exterior visible, grounds and public spaces accessible

Directions: Located southwest of University of Technology. From Otaniemi walk west from library along Vuorimiehentie to Tekniikantie, then southwest (left) to Tapiola across underpass. Take first left on Itäranta, walk south ten minutes to Harjuviita.

Imatra Buildings

Church of the Three Crosses – Vuoksenniska Church, Ruokolahdentie 27
1956-58

Järvenpää Buildings

Villa Kokkonen, Tuulimyllyntie 5
1967-69
Admission fee
Enquiries : Järvenpää Town Tourist Services

Kauttua Building

Kauttua Terrace House
1937-44

Kotka Building

Sunila Pulp Mill, Sunila
1936-38, 1951-54

Järvenpää Building

Sunila Housing Area, Sunila
1937-38; 1947; 1953
Enquiries / guided tours: Kotka Tourist Service

Lahti Building

Church of the Cross
1969-79
Kirkkokatu 4

Noormarkku Building

Villa Mairea
1937-39
Admission fee
Visits by appointment – villa.mairea@a-ahlstrom.fi

Paimio Building

Paimio Sanatorium & Housing
1929-33
Interior by appointment – Guided tours: Jun – Aug

Alvar Aalto – Winner of RIBA Gold Medal 1957

Location: Finland, northeast Europe

Further Information on this Major Finnish Architect

Helsinki Building

Author: I was lucky to visit many of the above buildings on an architecture scholarship in 1990, starting in Helsinki and travelling clockwise via Espoo, Otaniemi and then out to Turku, Pori, Tampere, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Seinäjoki, and back. My tip would be from Jyväskylä go straight on to Imatra skipping the long route up to Kajaani via Kuopio. Tampere is worth pausing at due to the work of other architects most notably the Finnish National Romantic Movement. Please note one of Alvar Aalto’s greatest buildings is in Russia at Vyborg and this is not far over the border from Imatra.

The highlight of my Finnish Architecture Tour was definitely seeing Villa Mairea near Pori on the west coast. Other highlights were also up north, at Jyväskylä and Muuratsalo, the brilliant town hall and Aalto’s house in the woods. The latter was completely untouristified and combined the beauty of Finland’s lakes and woods with some great architecture.

An architectural highlight that wasn’t designed by Alvar Aalto was Hvitträsk, strongly recommended, a subtle but intelligent house well-documented in various architecture world histories. Villa Hvitträsk is by Saarinen, Gesellius, & Lindgren and located out at Kirkkonummi, dating from around 1902. [Adrian Welch, Architect]

Maison Louis Carré, Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, Yvelines department, north-central France:

photograph © Martti Karpanen, Alvar Aalto Museum

Photos and information for Alvar Aalto Buildings are welcome please.

Finnish Architecture

Finnish Buildings

Alvar Aalto Medal

Comments / photos for the Alvar Aalto Architecture page welcome

Website: www.alvaraalto.fi