matteo cainer proposes to connect two alvar aalto-designed museums

architect matteo cainer has presented his firm’s proposal to connect two museums in finland, both designed by alvar aalto. the scheme was originally submitted as part of an open competition, and, although cainer’s design was not selected from the more than 650 entries, the practice has continued to work on the plans. the brief called for an extension connecting the ‘alvar aalto museum’, the ‘museum of central finland’, and the surrounding outdoor area. the aim was to develop the two buildings to form a new cultural core for the city of jyväskylä.

all images and video courtesy of matteo cainer architects

‘the international competition to link the alvar aalto museum with the museum of central finland presented a unique opportunity to rethink both museums and explore alvar aalto’s architectural legacy,’ says matteo cainer architects. ‘through a refined abstraction of his work, a new architectural language harmoniously blurs the boundaries between old and new, establishing a dynamic ‘ensemble’ that not only highlights the museum’s collections, but also creates a sense of unity and roots the museum in the site.’

the proposal connects two distinct museum buildings

the two buildings — the alvar aalto museum and the museum of central finland — were designed a decade apart and boast contrasting styles. after noting the existing buildings’ organizational and spatial shortcomings, cainer and his team developed the concept as an ‘architectural junction’ that connects deep into both buildings, redistributing pedestrian flows and creating greater permeability in order to enrich the visitor experience.

time-lapse video illustrating the project’s different phases

‘to create this physically and conceptually connected entity, we decided to analyze aalto’s distinctive building typologies and their circulation/distribution spaces,’ explain the architects. ‘these were then combined and incorporated through a refined abstraction, thereby creating homage to aalto and the trace/architectural framework for the new museum.’ consequently, the proposed cultural center includes technical spaces, a gift/book shop distributed over two floors, a new auditorium and cloakroom, the extended café alvar and working spaces for the expanded program of events.

concept diagram

concept diagram — circulation

program diagram

phasing diagram

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

elevation and sections

project info:

name: alvar aalto time lapse
architects: matteo cainer architects 
location: jyväskylä ruusupuisto, finland 
state: competition entry and development
size: project 3,450 sqm / total museum 6,035 sqm
MCA team: caterina cicognani, bogdan gavriliu, vasiliki mavrikaki, barbara stefan, and sara carciotti

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