The museum of central Finland, designed by architect Alvar Aalto, was completed in 1960 in Ruusupuro, Jyväskylä. The building is plastered white and represents Aalto’s white period. The museum consists of an L-shaped building with three floors.

The expansion, completed in 1990, was planned by architectural company Alvar Aalto & Co., and is located on the slope below the old building. Due to this, the entryway was moved down to the marketplace together with Alvar Aalto Museum.

The spaces and functions inside the building will remain virtually unchanged. The most notable rooms in the building are the skylight clad art hall on the top floor, the lecture room with a wooden ceiling alike the one in Viipuri library, as well as the well-preserved café. The largest change is the placement of spaces that need modern construction technology in the machine room underground.

Contaminated parts of the buildings´ structure were removed due to water damage. Afterwards the original structures and surfaces were restored. The renovation was done in close collaboration with the Museum Office as well as with Aalto Museum.

Photography: Jiri Halttunen