A word cloud of the proposals has now been published

Suggestions for the name were sought for the future museum centre in Jyväskylä’s Ruusupuisto for a month. Between 15.3 and 15.4.2021, we received a total of 1006 name proposals of which we have now published a word cloud at www.ruusupuistonmuseokeskus.fi. The purpose of collecting name suggestions was finding a unique, memorable, and clear name that is easy to use in a sentence. The name should be good for Finnish and international audience alike, and describe the two different museums and the content they offer.

“We received a considerable number of name proposals by the given deadline,” says Project Coordinator Nina Heikkonen happily. “Some of the proposals were witty names or word combinations, which provided also new perspectives for the development of the museum centre. A few of the names could be used as such for naming the museum centre or various parts of the premises,” Nina Heikkonen continues.

Most of the proposed names met the given criteria for a unique, catchy, unambiguous name which is easy to inflect and pronounceable for international visitors. On the other hand, the greatest challenge seemed to be in finding a name, which would describe two different museums and their contents.

“Certain words and their different forms popped up among the proposed names repeatedly in different languages. Various Aalto name derivatives and names referring to the location, Ruusupuisto, were submitted to the contest,” Nina Heikkonen says. “In my opinion, this shows that in the minds of the general public, the future museum centre is rooted deep in Ruusupuisto in Jyväskylä, in the cultural landscape of Central Finland and the world of Alvar Aalto’s architecture and design,” she adds.

10 Museum Cards and 10 Aalto stools will be raffled among those who have suggested names.  The winners of the raffle will be contacted in person.

The final name of the museum centre will be revealed at a later date. The name of the future museum centre will be selected by the board of the project, which includes Heli-Maija Voutilainen (City of Jyväskylä, Director of Museums), Tommi Lindh (Alvar Aalto Foundation, Managing Director), Tuula Vuolio-Vallenius (Museum of Central Finland, Curator), Katariina Pakoma (Alvar Aalto Foundation, Chief Curator), Mirkku Kullberg (Glasshouse Helsinki, CEO), and Nina Heikkonen (Museum Vision Project, Coordinator).

For the time being, Alvar Aalto Museum will be closed due to renovation as of 26.4.2021. Over the next two years, the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland will together create a new museum hub in Jyväskylä´s Ruusupuisto neighbourhood after the Alvar Aalto Museum’s renovation and the construction of a new connecting wing between the museum buildings are complete. The connecting wing will enable the museums to share functions, and offers a new dimension in which to develop high-quality exhibitions and events as well as offer cafeteria and restaurant services. The museum hub opening in 2023 will be an interesting, attractive, and affecting whole, a viewpoint into the past as well as the future.

On the Ruusupuisto Museum Centre website, you may follow the latest news from the project all the way to the completion of the new museum hub. You can find the website at www.ruusupuistonmuseokeskus.fi

More information:    
Nina Heikkonen
Project Coordinator
Ruusupuisto Museum Centre
The Museum Vision Project
nina.heikkonen@alvaraalto.fi 
Tel. +358 44 500 1257

Tarja Poikonen
Marketing and Communications Manager
Jyväskylä City Museums
The Museum of Central Finland
tarja.poikonen@jyvaskyla.fi 
Tel. +358 50 4010 860

Mirkka Vidgrén
Communications Manager
Alvar Aalto Foundation
Alvar Aalto Museum
mirkka.vidgren@alvaraalto.fi 
Tel. +358 40 168 5142

Alvar Aalto Museum (1971-73) and the Museum of Central Finland (1956-61, 1991). Photo Maija Holma © Alvar Aalto Foundation.