Summer 2026 offers fascinating exhibitions one after another, exploring the Aaltos’ humane architecture and design, and the impact of design on people’s wellbeing. Visits to these classic sites of modern architecture reveal the buildings’ gentle scale and their rich world of shapes and materials. August brings exciting architecture and design events worth adding to your calendar now.

EXHIBITIONS TELL US ABOUT HUMANE DESIGN

The 13 Stories about Humane Design exhibition opens up new perspectives on Aino, Alvar and Elissa Aalto’s human-centred architecture. It explores the buildings through stories written by author Sanna Puutonen. What does a new home look like through the eyes of a child? What does it sound like when architecture resonates? How does a hospital building boost patients’ sense of community? The thirteen architectural sites featured form the Aalto Works series, which has been proposed for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exhibition is in the Aalto2 Museum Centre Gallery 24.4.2026–10.1.2027. More about the exhibition.

The Architecture & Design Museum’s Aalto Design – Shapes of Wellbeing exhibition approaches Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto’s architecture and design from the perspective of wellbeing. The Aaltos’ key insight was that wellbeing arises out of a balance between people, nature and the built environment, and that the task of architecture and design was to reinforce that connection. The exhibition invites us to look at the classics from a new perspective in a time when we are seeking sustainable ways of living and achieving wellbeing.  The exhibition is on display 5.6.2026–3.1.2027. More about the exhibition.

GLIMPSES INTO THE AALTOS’ EVERYDAY LIVES, WORK AND ICONIC BUILDINGS

At the Aalto House and Studio Aalto you can get a unique view of the life of the Aalto architect family and the everyday world of the office in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki. There are guided tours of both sites throughout the year and, and especially in summer, it is also worth visiting their verdant gardens. The tours are popular, so it is advisable to buy tickets from the online store in advance.

Elissa and Alvar Aalto’s summer home, the Muuratsalo Experimental House in Jyväskylä, is open to the public in the summer. Guided tours take visitors to the island on Lake Päijänne – the “Tahiti of Finland” – where the architect couple spent their summers. The Experimental House, in its own peaceful natural setting, is reached by a forest path. Tickets for tours are sold by the Aalto2 Museum Centre.

The Alvar Aalto Foundation holds guided tours of Helsinki’s House of Culture for groups and individuals. On the tour you get to explore the history, architecture, design and materials of this building seen as the culmination of Alvar Aalto’s red-brick architecture. Tickets for guided tours are available online.

The iconic Finlandia Hall is a fascinating event centre and meeting place in the heart of Helsinki. The Visions of Alvar Aalto – Finlandia Exhibition takes you into the wellsprings of Aaltos ́ creativity and the essence of Finnishness. The guided tour opens up the history, architecture, and present-day activities of Finlandia Hall. More about Finlandia Hall.

Paimio Sanatorium, a total work of art designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto, is a wonderful summer destination in Southwest Finland. Guided tours of the Sanatorium, built in the middle of a pine forest, introduce its architecture, innovations, design and colour scheme. A forest trail starts just behind Paimio Sanatorium, and you can even stay overnight in this sanatorium set in a scenic landscape! More about Paimio Sanatorium.

AUGUST EVENTS INVITE VISITORS TO OULU AND KOTKA

August offers a wide variety of architecture and design events, including Alvar Aalto Week in Oulu and Sunila’s Aalto Homes Open House in Kotka.

Oulu, European Capital of Culture 2026, invites you to celebrate Alvar Aalto Week 21–30.8.2026, on the theme of Handprints. The event highlights Aalto’s legacy in Oulu and brings together events related to the theme. The events help you discover and experience the impressions, structures and stories that our environment carries within it. Discover Alvar Aalto in Oulu.

Sunila’s Aalto Homes Open House event is being held for the fourth time. The former Sunila pulp mill residential area in Kotka, designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto, will be open to the public on the last weekend of August, 29–30.8.2026. Sunila’s Aalto Homes Open House welcomes you to explore their architecture, interiors, and design. The attractive residential buildings built in the 1930s–1950s follow the shape of the terrain of this pine landscape. More on the event website.

Further information:
Communications Manager Mirkka Vidgrén
+358 40 168 5142
mirkka.vidgren@alvaraalto.fi

Marketing and Customer Experience Specialist Kaari Freese
+358 40 135 6210
kaari.freese@alvaraalto.fi

Muuratsalo Experimental House (1952–54). Photo Maija-Holma © Alvar Aalto -säätiö.