The Aalto Centre - The Pride of Seinäjoki

The administrative and cultural centre of Seinäjoki is one of the most important creations of Alvar Aalto. The Aalto Centre, composed of six buildings and speaking directly to the spectator in clean and timeless form language, was mainly completed between 1960 and 1968.

The first building to be erected was the church, Lakeuden Risti (‘Cross on the Plain’) and the last one, the theatre, in 1987. Consequently, nowadays you can admire in Seinäjoki a group of buildings and architectural whole, which is rare by Finnish and even by international standards.

The Aalto Centre was implemented in the spirit of the great master down to the last detail. The finishing touches included the coating of the Civic Square with granite slates and dice stones in summer 1988. The pattern of squares was made to correspond completely to the design by Aalto.

In Seinäjoki, you can also visit the Staff Building of the Civil Guard, which was inaugurated in 1925. The group of three buildings is a good showcase from Aalto’s classical period and his only early work that has remained unchanged.

The six buildings of the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki:
Lakeuden Risti church, (Cross of the Plain) (1957-1960) and Parish Centre (1965-1966)
City Hall (1961-1962)
City Library-Regional Library (1964-1965)
State Office Building (1966-1968)
City Theatre (1986-1987)