The Aalto2 Museum Center, a new addition to Jyväskylä’s Ruusupuisto park in Central Finland, is set to open on May 27, 2023. The A-Konsultit Architects-designed museum aims to celebrate the cultural heritage of acclaimed architect Alvar Aalto’s architecture and design, fulfilling the architect’s desire to establish a venue for the fusion of various art forms. The center comprises three buildings: the renovated Alvar Aalto Museum, the Museum of Central Finland, and the new Aalto2 center, which connects both museums.
The Aalto2 design, selected from a pool of almost 700 entries from around the world, seeks to merge art, science, and culture into the museum’s exhibits and events. The center’s opening exhibit, “Human Traces – World Heritage,” curated by Finnish-Spanish architects Anna and Eugeni Bach, explores the physical and intangible heritage of human culture, including the Great Wall of China and Finnish sauna culture. The museum’s permanent exhibition, “AALTO – Work and Life,” provides an in-depth look at Alvar Aalto’s creative process, concepts, and influences. The Aalto2 Museum Center aims to attract a broad audience with its multifunctional, experiential content.
In addition to showcasing the cultural legacy of Alvar Aalto’s architecture and design, the Aalto2 Museum Center aims to provide a multifunctional space for cultural environments, architecture, and design. The center’s opening in May 2023 fulfills Alvar Aalto’s long-standing desire to establish a venue for the fusion of various art forms and mediums. The Aalto2 Museum Center, designed by A-Konsultit Architects, comprises three buildings: the renovated Alvar Aalto Museum, the Museum of Central Finland, and the new Aalto2 center.
The Aalto2 design seamlessly integrates art and science with architecture, design, and cultural contexts, providing a new calendar of events and embedding various exhibitions into the city center. The museums will display “Human Traces – World Heritage,” a curated exhibition by Finnish-Spanish architects Anna and Eugeni Bach, which highlights physical and intangible heritage, ranging from the Great Wall of China to Finnish sauna culture and contemporary architecture. In addition, five mini-exhibitions will explore the variety of built heritage and cultural significance in the Aalto2 museum.
The new Aalto2 center’s bright and roomy addition enhances accessibility to the museums, expanding collaboration possibilities. The communal lobby space, museum shop, and café form a warm domestic living room feel, making it easier for visitors to explore the museum center and its many displays. The improved accessibility of Aalto2 will allow for larger exhibitions, events, and various offerings to accommodate larger groups of people sharing the space.
The new museum center will have a profile as a multifunctional building specializing in cultural environments, architecture, and design, offering experiential content that attracts an increasingly wide audience.
–Heli-Maija Voutilainen, Director of Museums for the City of Jyväskylä.
The Alvar Aalto Museum’s newest permanent display, “AALTO – Work and Life,” showcases Aalto’s designs, concepts, and influences that went into them. The exhibit provides guests with information about Alvar Aalto’s life and work and delves deeper into Aalto’s creative process, in which he approached each design brief as a brand-new challenge.
Overall, the Aalto2 Museum Center is set to become a leading venue for architecture, design, and cultural experiences in Central Finland, attracting an increasingly wide audience.
