Säynätsalon kunnantalo

About the museum

The Säynätsalo town hall was completed in 1952 on the basis of an invited competition won by Alvar Aalto. The competition was held in 1949, and Aalto's proposal was called Curia. The building is considered one of Aalto's most admired works and has its own place in the history of modern architecture.

Four two-storey wings surround a square inner courtyard, which is raised one storey above its surroundings. The dominant part of the building is the council chamber, which rises like a tower, and the main materials of the exterior walls and the representative spaces are red brick. Aalto's office also designed all the interiors and furniture.

The town hall served municipal administration until 1993, when Säynätsalo was merged into Jyväskylä. The building was protected in 1994, and a thorough renovation was completed in 1998. Today the building houses a library, the former office spaces are used for art exhibitions and exhibition rooms, the residential wing contains accommodation rooms, and there are commercial premises on the lowest floor.

Highlights

• Town hall from 1952 designed by Alvar Aalto
• Tower-like council chamber and red-brick façades
• Furniture designed by Aalto's office
• Live guided tours in summer in Finnish and English
• Library and exhibition spaces in the same building

Admission & discounts

Prices for 2024–2027. Free admission with the Museokortti (Finnish Museum Card), PRESS, ICOM, ICOMOS and DOCOMOMO cards, and the membership card of the Finnish Guide Association. Scheduled public live guided tours are included in the admission fee; the ticket is collected on arrival from the info point.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The town hall is not fully accessible: the office and exhibition floor can be reached by a stair lift in the residential wing with help from staff, but the council chamber can only be reached by stairs.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The AaBakery café in the town hall serves coffee, pastries and savoury pies; lunch can be ordered for groups. The building also houses an Aalto shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit