Alvar Aalto Museum and its exhibitions are still open to the public this week in Jyväskylä. The museum will close on 26 April 2021, however, at which time many of the its operations will transfer to SÄYNÄTSALO TOWN HALL, which was designed by Alvar Aalto. Alvar Aalto Foundation’s museum shop, Alvar Aalto Shop, is already serving customers in the centre of Jyväskylä, near Kirkkopuisto.

The long-awaited renovation of the museum building will start in the summer of 2021. The goal is for the new Ruusupuisto Museum Centre, which will combine the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland, to open to the public in the summer of 2023. Some staff and services from the Alvar Aalto Museum will be transferred to Säynätsalo Town Hall (1949–52), which is already home to Tavolo Bianco, a company that runs architectural tours.

“Alvar Aalto Museum will organize guided architectural tours at the Town Hall from June to September (1.6.–15.9.2021). Outwith the high season and official guided tours, Tavolo Bianco will be in charge of public guided tours and we will be working closely together. We will also be organizing small-scale exhibitions at the Town Hall, the first of which will be “Timeless Aalto”, which opens on 17 June 2021. This exhibition has been produced in collaboration with Professor Emeritus Tore Tallqvist, the University of Tampere and the City of Jyväskylä. The Town Hall will also host a side branch of our museum shop,” says Katariina Pakoma, Chief Curator of the Alvar Aalto Museum.

One of the foundation’s most attractive museum sites is Alvar Aalto’s summer villa in Säynätsalo, Muuratsalo Experimental House (1952–54), which is open to the public during summer. “The location of the two Aalto architectural sites on the islands of Säynätsalo – the Tahiti of Päijänne, as Aalto put it – is an ideal solution from the Museum’s point of view. A visit to both sites offers a holistic experience that also opens up perspectives on Aalto’s personal history and the summers he spent on the shores of Lake Päijänne with his wife Elissa,” Pakoma says.

Harri Taskinen, who has run Säynätsalo Town Hall’s tourism services through his company Tavolo Bianco since 2017, is also very happy with the chance to collaborate: “Both Aalto sites in Säynätsalo have their own solid base of international admirers, which in normal times ensures a steady flow of visitors to the islands. With international travel slowing down these days due to the pandemic, and domestic tourism on the upswing, it is good to look for new angles in the tourism business. As the Museum runs public tours in high season, Tavolo Bianco can focus on private tours and accommodation. Säynätsalo Town Hall is one of the few Aalto destinations where you can also stay overnight, so we can offer visitors an unforgettable Aalto and archipelago experience. We invest responsibly in the development of tourism, as demonstrated by our right to use the “Sustainable Travel Finland” badge we have just received. We also emphasize accessibility, equality and rainbow friendliness,” he says.

“Säynätsalo Town Hall is a key work with regards to Aalto’ architecture, and the red brick-clad building also houses a library, residential apartments and commercial premises, as well as administrative offices. It is a total work of art, with all the furniture, lamps and even the smallest details designed by Aalto. The Town Hall has an important place in the history of modern architecture, and it still attracts architectural tourists from Finland and the world today,” says Tommi Lindh, CEO of the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

Public guided tour times for Säynätsalo Town Hall can be found here.

Public guided tour times for Muuratsalo Experimental House can be found here.

Private guided tours, experiences and accommodation options in Säynätsalo can be found at: www.tavolobianco.com

More information on the architecture of Säynätsalo Town Hall and Muuratsalo Experimental House.

Enquiries:
Alvar Aalto Museum / Säynätsalo Town Hall
Alvar Aallon katu 7 / Parviaisentie 9
40101 Jyväskylä / 40900 Jyväskylä
Tel. +358 40 135 6210
museum@alvaraalto.fi
www.alvaraalto.fi

Tavolo Bianco / Harri Taskinen
Säynätsalo Town Hall
Parviaisentie 9
40900 Jyväskylä
Tel. +358 40 1971 091
info@tavolobianco.com
www.tavolobianco.com

Alvar Aalto Shop
Kauppakatu 14
40100 Jyväskylä
Tel. +358 50 469 2321
shop@alvaraalto.fi
shop.alvaraalto.fi

Photos:
Alvar Aalto Museum, Jyväskylä 1971–73. Photo Maija Holma © Alvar Aalto Foundation.
Säynätsalo Town Hall, Jyväskylä 1949–52. Photo Martti Kapanen © Alvar Aalto Foundation.