The 6th Alvar Aalto Researcher’ Network Seminar is to be held in Jyväskylä, Finland, 6.–7.5.2026 and it´s overarching theme is Reinterpretation. The seminar invites bold thinking and fresh interpretations, exploring architecture, the environment, and people – not only by honoring the past, but by envisioning the future.

The Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Network Seminar invites scholars and professionals from diverse fields to explore how Alvar Aalto’s architecture and legacy, as well as broader themes within modern architecture and the built environment, are being rethought, recontextualized, and reimagined today.

Through three subthemes – Concepts, Buildings, and People – the seminar provides a platform for multidisciplinary dialogue. The discussions will span evolving terminologies, the re-evaluation of buildings in light of new functions and sustainability challenges, and renewed biographical approaches to the people behind the designs.

Call for Papers of the seminar is open until 15.9.2025. We welcome contributions that challenge established narratives, propose new analytical frameworks, or shed light on overlooked perspectives within Aalto studies and related fields. The seminar encourages both academic and practice-based viewpoints. Read more about Call for Papers here.

Join the conversation where insights emerge from intersecting perspectives, and where asking new questions is more important than having ready-made answers.

Ticket sales will open in January 2026.

The seminar is organized by the Alvar Aalto Academy in collaboration with various partners. The seminar is conducted primarily in English and is open to all interested in the subject.

The Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Network Seminar is an international, multidisciplinary event that brings together researchers, experts, and professionals in architecture, design, art, and cultural history from around the world. The seminar aims to promote scholarly discussion on Alvar Aalto’s life’s work, design philosophy, and influence, as well as on modern architecture and its research more broadly.

Further information:
academy@alvaraalto.fi

Studio Aalto (1955, 1962–63), Helsinki. Photo Maija Holma © Alvar Aalto Foundation.