Säynätsalo Town Hall

A small town hall on an island in Finland became one of Aalto’s best-loved works. The red brick buildings are grouped around a raised courtyard of grass. The council chamber has a roof carried by fan-shaped timber trusses.

Säynätsalo was a small industrial municipality near Jyväskylä that needed a town hall. Alvar Aalto won a competition in 1949, and the building was erected in 1949–1952. It was to house administration, a council chamber, a library, shops and flats. Aalto was closely connected with the area, having grown up in Jyväskylä.

The buildings are grouped around a courtyard raised one storey above the ground, rather like an Italian piazza. The courtyard is reached by stairs, one of which is made of grass and timber. The buildings are of red brick, and the ribbon windows face the courtyard. The council chamber lies in a taller part, like a tower, and its roof is carried by timber trusses that branch out. Aalto wanted the building to show the importance of democracy by having the council meet at the top, as in a medieval town hall.

Säynätsalo was merged with Jyväskylä in 1993, and the building is now used for cultural purposes and as a guesthouse. It has been restored. The town hall is regarded as one of Aalto’s masterpieces and has influenced how architects think about public buildings in small communities. It also shows Aalto’s way of using brick and wood.