Background:

Looking at Aalto's works it seems there is strong connection between his unique aesthetic works of architecture to the landscapes of Finland. The Nature, the proportion of human scale, detailing and the reference to natural light are an integral part of Aalto’s design and to the character of Finland. The Forested mountainous area of Jyväskylä with the proximity to the Finnish lake allows new relationships between Nature, City and Building.

Looking at the urban fabric of the city and particular at the museum topographic area it's clarified that this museum site has the potential to function also as a vertical connection between the various areas of the university and furthermore, constitute as a new Landmark to the university complexes nearby. In addition, this site creates a conscious connection with the three Alvar Aalto's, unrealized, urban squares that planed in the northern part of the city.

Design principles:

Transparency and openness are two guiding principles in the connection between the two different museums. The initial act was lifting the new museums extension floor from the street level and creating an open space at the bottom of the museum that will act as a new public realm for general activities. The access to the new extension is via a ramp close to the Museum of Central Finland. This ramp leading to the new museums lobby which connect to the lounge of Museum of Central Finland and thus creates a spatial connection between those two areas and uses and transforms them into a single space. The connecting gateway between the museums appears as an open, bright space that creating a dialogue between the nature and the landscape surrounding area to the museum's interior. The gateway serves as a shared space for the two museums where there are seating areas and resting point, bar, museums shop and exhibition space.

There is another access to the museum through a bridge that leads to the roof of Museum of Central Finland. This scenery path connecting the upper level of the university to the new museums extension and therefore expresses the idea of the relationships between Nature, City and Building. In addition there is an elevator which connecting between the new extension floor to the upper levels of the museum of Central Finland. This structure is also serves as a unique landmark to the university complexes nearby.

The challenges in this intervention were how to make an appropriate and unique performance to the new extension and on the other hand allowing creation of a new realm of activity for the museums and the public.