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New Aalto2 Museum Center set to open its doors to visitors in May in Finland

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.

Aalto2 Museum Center to Open to the Public This May in Finland

 

Aalto2 Museum Center to Open to the Public This May in FinlandAalto2 Museum Center to Open to the Public This May in Finland

 

Aalto2 Museum Centre new interior spaces. Image © Maija Holma - Alvar Aalto Foundation
Aalto2 Museum Centre new interior spaces. Image © Maija Holma – Alvar Aalto Foundation

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.

Lecture Hall, the Museum of Central Finland. Image © Raisa Nerg - The Museum of Central Finland
Lecture Hall, the Museum of Central Finland. Image © Raisa Nerg – The Museum of Central Finland

 

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.

Aalto2 Museum Centre, Alvar Aalto Museum exhibition hall after renovation. Image © Maija Holma - Alvar Aalto Foundation
Aalto2 Museum Centre, Alvar Aalto Museum exhibition hall after renovation. Image © Maija Holma – Alvar Aalto Foundation

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.

 

Aalto2 Museum Centre new interior spaces. Image © Maija Holma - Alvar Aalto Foundation
Aalto2 Museum Centre new interior spaces. Image © Maija Holma – Alvar Aalto Foundation

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.

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