Architecture in Jyväskylä

The capital city of Alvar Aalto

Jyväskylä is well-known for Alvar Aalto’s architecture. There are in all 29 buildings in the city and its surrounding areas designed by Aalto, of which the most significant is the Säynätsalo Town Hall. Other buildings designed by Aalto include, among other things, the Church of Muurame, the campus of the University of Jyväskylä and the Alvar Aalto Museum.

The Säynätsalo Town Hall

The Säynätsalo Town Hall is one of the Alvar Aalto’s main works. It has been implemented based on the invitational competition held in 1949. In the middle of the castle-like building with red bricks there is a courtyard set a bit higher than its surroundings, through which there is an access to the administrative premises of the municipality and library. There are also dwellings, business premises and guest rooms in the building. 

The Church of Muurame

The Church of Muurame was designed in the 1920s and is one of the seven implemented church plans by Alvar Aalto and it is custom-made. The Church has been influenced by the Italian architecture. 
The Church was repaired in 1979 and renovated in 2016, at which time it was restored to its original appearance. 

The Campus of the University of Jyväskylä

An architectural invitational competition was organised in the Seminaarinmäki area due to extension needs, which Aalto won. Buildings were built in 1951–1970. Seminaarinmäki still serves as a main campus of the University of Jyväskylä. Regarding the buildings located within the campus, Aalto has designed, inter alia, the main building of the university (C), the Restaurant Lozzi,  the Conference and Seminar Room Lyhty, the Sports Hall of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences (U), the Student House (Y) and the indoor swimming pool of the city, AaltoAlvari.

The Alvar Aalto Museum

The Museum named after Alvar Aalto serves in the building designed by Aalto himself in the early 1970s. The basic exhibition of the Museum furnished with furniture designed by Aalto introduces Aalto’s life and extensive production. The Museum of Central Finland, located next to the Alvar Aalto Museum, is also Alvar Aalto’s handwriting and it was completed in 1961.