As a child, the world-renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto spent his summers in Alajärvi, where he also lived as a young man. For him, the region represented holidays with family and friends and a break from the pressures of a hectic programme of work commitments and design competitions.
The centre of Alajärvi offers a cross-section of Alvar Aalto’s body of work – from the first public building designed by him as a student and buildings from his ‘white era’ to the last work by his architecture company. The civic and cultural centre of Alajärvi and its surroundings are home to 11 buildings designed by Aalto, including the recently renovated Villa Väinölä, which Aalto designed for his brother.
Alvar Aalto in Alajärvi
- Youth association building (1919)
- Villa Väinölä (1926)
- Villa Flora (1926)
- Municipal hospital (1928)
- Town hall (1967)
- Health centre (1968)
- Parish centre (1970)
- City library (1991)
- Monuments:
Alajärvi war cemetery, the monument on the Aalto family grave, monument for the residents of Alajärvi killed in the Civil War fighting for the White Army.
The buildings in Alajärvi can be viewed free of charge.
You can book a guided tour via Visit Lakeus – read more
