Aalto Works – UNESCO World Heritage Visitor Centre to open at Aalto2 on 2 October

Aalto Works – UNESCO World Heritage Visitor Centre Jyväskylä will open at the Aalto2 Museum Centre on Friday 2 October. The opening ceremony begins at 5 pm and admission is free. To mark the opening, admission to the exhibitions at Aalto2 will also be free of charge throughout the day. The museum centre will remain open until 10 pm.

Opening as part of the City of Light event, the free visitor centre presents the thirteen sites included in the Aalto Works series, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List this summer, with a focus on the sites located in Jyväskylä. It also introduces visitors to other significant Aalto sites in Central Finland, as well as the region’s other World Heritage sites.

The visitor centre focuses on Jyväskylä and its surrounding area. The Aalto Works UNESCO World Heritage sites in the city include the Aalto campus of the University of Jyväskylä, Säynätsalo Town Hall and the Muuratsalo Experimental House.

In addition to tourists, the visitor centre is also designed with local residents in mind. The free visitor centre provides an opportunity to discover Aalto’s architecture and the World Heritage of Central Finland before setting out to visit the sites themselves.

The visitor centre has been created in collaboration with the City of Jyväskylä, the University of Jyväskylä, the Petäjävesi Old Church Foundation, the Association of World Heritage Sites in Finland and the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

World Heritage from Aalto’s architecture to the sauna

The visitor centre is intended to serve as a starting point for exploring the World Heritage sites of Central Finland. Alongside the Aalto Works sites, the exhibition highlights Petäjävesi Old Church, the Oravivuori measuring point of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Korpilahti, and Finnish sauna culture.

Petäjävesi Old Church is a unique example of traditional Finnish timber architecture and church-building traditions. The Struve Geodetic Arc represents the World Heritage of science and technology, reflecting humanity’s enduring interest in the shape and size of the Earth. Finnish sauna culture adds its own living form of cultural heritage to the World Heritage ensemble.

At the visitor centre, visitors can explore the history, architecture and significance of the World Heritage sites through engaging and experiential content. The aim is to spark curiosity and inspire visitors to experience the sites in their own surroundings.

From the visitor centre, visitors can continue their exploration at Aalto2, where the Alvar Aalto Museum exhibitions offer a deeper insight into Aalto’s life and work, including his architecture and design.

Guided tours offer a closer look at Aalto sites

In addition to presenting the Aalto sites, the visitor centre provides information about guided tours and other services available at the sites. Aalto2 offers guided tours to the University of Jyväskylä Aalto Campus, Muuratsalo Experimental House and Säynätsalo Town Hall. Guided tours will also be available at Jyväskylä City Theatre, designed by Aalto and recently renovated.