Conference program

Busses pick up passenger from Helsinki-Vantaa airport bus stops. There is a reception counter in the terminal of the airport for the tour participants. See the map of the airport. The tour heads towards Verla World Heritage Site.

Address: Verlantie 295, 47850 Verla. See the map for restaurant location 9. Those arriving with their own vehicles, please join the tour at the restaurant.

Verla’s Groundwood and Board Mill became Finland’s first factory museum in 1972. The museum is located in the village of Verla, in the northern part of the Kymenlaakso region, and is part of the Verla World Heritage site. Culture, history, architecture, activities and nature come together at this multifaceted site. The Verla Groundwood Mill was established in 1872, and the Board Mill in 1882. Even before the groundwood mill was constructed, logs were floated down the Verla rapids to the saw mills along the Kymi River. As the forest industry grew, pulpwood joined the saw logs floating through the rapids and the quantity of wood being driven increased dramatically. The mill produced groundwood pulp and white wood pulp board. As the number of workers at the mill increased, a close-knit mill community grew over the decades, its rhythms dictated by the mill’s dinner bell. Luckily for the village, the mill owner was an enthusiastic proponent of improving healthcare and social conditions. Production ended at the mill in 1964. Miraculously, the mill area has survived intact and has been spared from demolition or incongruous additions. Because the waterway the mill was built along was small, the area did not meet the conditions for growth.

See more info on Verla.

Buses drop passenger in front of Sokos hotel Paviljonki (address: Lutakonaukio 10 40100 Jyväskylä). Sokos hotel Alexandra and Scandic hotels City and Station are within walking distance of the Lutakonaukio.

Buses pick up passenger from Lutakonaukio at 19:30. Guests should gather in front of Hotel Paviljonki. Conference will begin officially at 20:00 in Aalto2 Museum Center with welcoming words of the hosts and the chairman Einar Sæmundsen. After the spheeches guests can see the museum center and socialize freely. Canapes and a toast are served. Dress code: smart and casual. For more information about the site, see the webpage of Aalto2 Museum Center.

Buses pick up guest from Lutakonaukio (Lutakonaukio, 40100 Jyväskylä). Please pack outdoor clothing with you, since Oravivuori site visit requires traversing one kilometer on a forest trail on foot. Those arriving early by themselves can buy breakfast at the college. This won’t be possible for the bus users.

Travel to Oravivuori will be staggered, as guests are divided to two groups. Buses carrying the first group depart at 14:00. Second group departs at 14:30. First group will eat lunch before the second. After lunch guests can change clothes in college locker rooms. Oravivuori trip requires traversing two kilometers of trail in difficult terrain on foot. There are few benches along the trail. For those not attending the trip, transportation to Jyväskylä will be provided at 14:30 instead. Bottles of water and snacks for the trip are provided by the organizers.

First group is picked by buses at 17:00 and second at 17:30. Buses take guests to Lutakonaukio (Lutakonaukio 40100 Jyväskylä).

The evening is reserved for board meetings of Nordic World Heritage Association and national heritage associations. For those who are not participating in the board meetings, we recommend Alvar Aalto -themed guided tour of Seminaarinmäki Campus at 19:00. Starting point of the Campus tour is in front of Lähde-library of the University of Jyväskylä (B-Building, Seminaarinkatu 15, 40014 Jyväskylän yliopisto). The tour is free of charge, but please notice that no transportation is provided by the hosts. See a map of the campus here. Alternatively, you can participate in a Finnish sauna experience at Sataman Viilu (Satamakatu 10, 40100 Jyväskylä, info in Finnish only). Both activities can be booked when purchasing the conference ticket, but please note that there is only a limited quota available.

Buses pick up guests from Lutakonaukio 40100 Jyväskylä.

Buses pick up guests at 16:30. Optionally, guests can walk to the church (Vanhankirkontie 9, 41900 Petäjävesi) since the distance is only 1,3 kilometers. Please notice that Petäjävesi Old Church does not have heating.

Buses pick up guests from Petäjävesi Old Church

Dress code: smart and casual. Rauma award and other honors are rewarded during the dinner.

Buses pick up guest from Lutakonaukio (40100 Jyväskylä). Those who are participating post-tour should check out of their rooms and take their luggage with them. Other guests are offered a ride back to Lutakonaukio after the program. On Campus, the programme takes place in the Capitol (C) building. See the map here.

Buses take guest, who won’t participate the post-tour, back to Lutakonaukio (40100 Jyväskylä). Be careful to choose the right buss. Post-tour buses head towards Säynätsalo.

Those who are travelling with their own cars should join post-tour group at the restaurant. Address: Juurikantie 5 40900 Säynätsalo (Jyväskylä). See introduction of the restaurant here (in Finnish only).  Menu: TBA.

Address: Parviaisentie 9, 40900 Säynätsalo. Alvar Aalto is one of Finland’s most international architects. Judging by his archived letters, receipts, account ledgers, telegrams and passports, Aalto is estimated to have made a couple of hundred trips in 1920-1975. These journeys reflect the architect’s cosmopolitan character, but also mirror the rise of tourism more generally – Aalto lived and worked in an era when travel in Finland and abroad was developing at a dizzying pace.

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 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. 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; the businesses face outward from the ground floors of two wings; and the administrative and cultural facilities look inward to the quiet courtyard.