Koskikeskus Landscape and Urban Plan
- Oulu
- 1944
The invitational competition for Säynätsalo Town Hall was held in 1949. Aalto won the competition with an entry marked ‘Curia’, and was immediately commissioned to prepare working drawings. Completed in 1952, the building is one of Aalto’s most admired designs.
The building has a variety of functions. Aalto laid out four two-storey wings around a square courtyard set one storey higher than its surroundings. Apartments occupy one of the wings, and commercial spaces face outward from the ground floors of two wings. The administrative and cultural facilities look inward to the quiet courtyard, one side of which is demarcated by the library wing later expanded on two floors.
The dominant element of the building is the council chamber, which soars tower-like above the complex. The main material used for the exterior as well as for the representative areas of the interior is bare red brick.
From the beginning of the building’s history, there has been two guestrooms available for booking. The rooms are named after the architect and his wife – Alvari and Elissa. Today there are also two apartments available for accommodation.
More information on Alvar Aalto Foundation website.