Seinäjoki’s civic and cultural centre forms an architectural entity that is unique on a global scale. It consists of six buildings and the Civic Square completed in 1988. The centre is located in the centre of Seinäjoki, only half a kilometre from the railway station.
The first building in the centre to be built was the Cross of the Plains church, completed in 1960. In terms of its design, the Cross of the Plains is a single-nave church with a campanile. Offering great views over Seinäjoki, the 65-metre campanile is open to the public in the summer.
The façade of Seinäjoki’s town hall, completed in 1962, is dominated by an arrangement of pillars, with the main entrance located behind them. The building’s exterior walls are covered with dark blue ceramic rods, which glimmer in the daylight and give the building its unique appearance.
The centre’s other buildings are Aalto Library (1965), the parish centre (1966), government office building (1968) and Seinäjoki Theatre (1987).
Seinäjoki’s Defence Corps Building, completed in 1925, is the only building from the early part of Aalto’s career that has not been altered at any stage.
Guided tours of the civic and cultural centre can be booked via Visit Lakeus; more information is available here. Read more about Seinäjoki’s civic and cultural centre on Visit Seinäjoki’s website.
