West Coast - Finland - page 467

Seinäjoki
06 / Pop 60,480
Seinäjoki (Swedish: Östermyra) is often overlooked by visitors hugging the coast, but any-
one interested in Finnish architecture shouldn't miss its striking Alvar Aalto-designed
town centre.
Huge festivals, especially Tangomarkkinat (Tango Fair) and Provinssirock, draw crowds
in their thousands each summer.
Sights
In 1951 Alvar Aalto won a competition to design Seinäjoki's civic and cultural heart from
scratch, down to the last light fitting and door handle. The Aalto Centre , completed in the
1960s, is one of his most important works - a collection of icy white structures and green
spaces that exemplify his modernist style. The fan-shaped public library is characteristic
of Aalto's multilevel approach; the theatre foyer contains a series of his famous wooden
reliefs; and the glittering blue-tiled, wave-like crest of the town hall incorporates the ar-
chitect's 'signature' ('aalto' is Finnish for wave).
Lakeuden Risti Church CHURCH
(lift admission €1; 10am-8pm mid-May-mid-Aug, noon-6pm Mon-Fri mid-Aug-mid-May, lift
noon-6pm mid-May-mid-Aug, 2-6pm Mon-Fri mid-Aug-mid-May)
Alvar Aalto's crowning achievement, Lakeuden Risti Church, is recognisable by its oddly
secular steeple-clock tower. You'll get a great perspective of the buildings making up the
Aalto Centre by taking the lift to the top.
Civil Guard & Lotta Svärd Museum MUSEUM
( 06-416-2734;Kauppakatu 17;adult/child €4/2; noon-7pm Wed, to 5pm Thu-Sun May-Aug,
noon-6pm Wed, to 4pm Thu, Fri & Sun Sep-Apr)
This Alvar Aalto-designed museum houses a collection based around the Lotta Svärd wo-
men's voluntary (and unarmed) defence force, which took on military service during
WWII and became one of the world's largest auxiliaries.