Planning has begun on Aalto Works visitor centres. The Aalto Works – UNESCO World Heritage Visitor Centre in Jyväskylä showcasing the sites in the Aalto Works series and other World Heritage Sites in Central Finland will open at the Aalto2 Museum Centre on October 2.

The Visitor Centre presents the thirteen sites in the Aalto Works series, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List this summer, with a particular focus on the sites in Jyväskylä. The city’s Aalto Works UNESCO sites include the University of Jyväskylä, Aalto Campus; Säynätsalo Town Hall and the Muuratsalo Experimental House. The Aalto Works series also includes: Studio Aalto; The Aalto House; Finlandia Hall; the National Pensions Institute (KELA) and House of Culture in Helsinki; the Church of Three Crosses in Imatra; Sunila Pulp Mill residential area in Kotka; Villa Mairea in Pori; Paimio Sanatorium in Paimio; and Seinäjoki Civic Centre in Seinäjoki.

The Visitor Centre also points visitors to other major Aalto sites in Central Finland, as well as to the region’s World Heritage Sites – Petäjävesi Old Church, the Oravivuori measuring point of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Korpilahti, and Finnish sauna culture, which is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

The Visitor Centre, which will be free of charge to the public, is intended for both Finnish and international tourists, as well as city residents.

“Interest in Aalto’s architecture and design has grown year by year, and UNESCO World Heritage listing is further adding to that interest. The Visitor Centre is responding to demand by providing information and services, and by reducing the need for services at the sites themselves,” says Tommi Lindh, CEO of the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

WORLD HERITAGE SITES AS A COMMON CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE

The Visitor Centre’s exhibition tells visitors about the history and architecture of the Aalto World Heritage Sites and reveals their significance as globally recognised cultural and natural heritage.

The Aalto Works sites represent the modern architecture of Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto, which is characterised by a humane approach to design. The Aaltos designed buildings for the needs of housing, communal living, and work and family life, with the furnishings and lighting and a connection to the surrounding landscape an integral part of the whole. The Aalto2 Museum Centre’s permanent exhibition Aalto – Work and Life offers an excellent opportunity to get to know Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto’s extensive life’s work on modern architecture and design.

Of the world heritage sites in Central Finland Petäjävesi Old Church is a unique example of traditional Finnish timber architecture and church-building traditions. The Struve Geodetic Arc represents world science and technology heritage, reflecting humanity’s enduring interest in the shape and size of the Earth. Finnish sauna culture adds its own living form of cultural heritage to the World Heritage ensemble.

Besides presenting the Aalto sites, the Visitor Centre provides information about guided tours and other services available at the sites. Entrance to the Aalto2 Museum Centre’s exhibitions is free on opening day and the Centre will be open until 22:00.

The Visitor Centre has been created in collaboration with the City of Jyväskylä, the University of Jyväskylä, the Foundation for the Old Church of Petäjävesi, the National Land Survey of Finland, the Association of World Heritage Sites in Finland, and the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

Visitor centres are also being planned for other sites in the Aalto Works series, and their opening dates will be announced separately later.

Aalto Works – Unesco World Heritage Visitor Centre Jyväskylä
Aalto2 Museum Centre
Alvar Aallon katu 7
40600 Jyväskylä
Finland