This weekend, Finnish Design Shop’s online magazine Design Stories takes us to Jyväskylä – Alvar Aalto’s hometown and a true treasure trove for fans of his architecture. We’ll start with a look at Aalto-designed landmarks in the city center, then venture a bit farther to visit the Säynätsalo Town Hall and the Experimental House in Muuratsalo, once the Aalto family’s beloved summer retreat. Come along for the journey!

Alvar Aalto designed nearly 30 buildings in and around his hometown of Jyväskylä, located in Central Finland. Among them are some of his most internationally acclaimed works, which encapsulate his multifaceted and human-centered approach to  architecture. The city also features lesser-known early projects, whose tradition-inspired architecture may come as a surprise.

Säynätsalo Town Hall was built in the early 1950s to serve as a town hall for a municipal of only 3,000 residents. Today, the building is open to visitors and offers guest rooms for an overnight stay.

The Muuratsalo Experimental House functioned both as a summer residence of Alvar and Elissa Aalto and a test site for architectural elements. The Experimental House gave Alvar Aalto the opportunity to play with construction materials and test new kinds of structural solutions.