“Hello, my name is Jennifer and I am 26 years old, I studied architecture in Mexico. I´ve always wanted to see this Town Hall, I´m sure its very cold this time of the year, but I´m really looking forward to be there. Its a dream come true for me to stay there. I read great reviews about you. I´m sure I´ll enjoy my stay.”
Jennifer arrived to rainy Jyväskylä after travelling over four hours through Southern Finland by buss. It took a while to explain why it wasn’t cold and where was the snow! But the Finnish weather is really very unpredictable.
Jennifer had just arrived to Finland after visiting several European countries. She would stay here only a couple of days and then fly back to Mexico via Amsterdam. Jennifer has graduated as an architect a few years ago and is working for a construction company as an inspector onsite.
Jennifer had only one mission: to see and experience the Säyntsalo Town Hall.
I asked from her why she from all of the buildings of the world wanted to see the Town Hall. She told that when they had architect studies the teacher showed some slides about Alvar Aaltos building and one of them was the Town Hall. She could only see the slide for some seconds and the teacher didn’t tell anything else about the building. But later she managed to find out what building it was, and decided to visit it some day. After working hard for couple of years she finally had the opportunity to travel to Europe. Her family didn’t think that it would be a good idea to travell alone and wintertime to Finland – and even 4 hours away from the capital. Jennifer had four thick jackets, warm hat, several insulated gloves…
It was not that cold and even the grass stairs were green. During the night it snowed just a little which made the scene totally different. Anyway after all Jennifer was not that dissapointed that it was not freezing cold and there was no real snow. She was even a little relieved that she didn’t need to use all her warm clothes.
It is sometimes difficult to understand the fame that Aalto has especially abroad. Visitors from Japan, China, USA, Argentina, Australia… Mexico! Aalto’s buildings are for us in Jyväskylä and in Finland so familiar that maybe we don’t notice them anymore. But when you start to pay attention and think about all the buildings, furniture, lamps, door handles… This all is around us in daily life and it surely should also be worth to visit buildings with a thought and learn the basic facts and ideas of Aalto. And perhaps sometimes feel also the atmosphere he created for example to the Town Hall – one of his most well known work of art.
From the guest book of the Town Hall:
“24/11/2016 It was a dream come true!! Thank you for a lovely tour and for your hospitality. Amazing how every detail was thought and design… Such a magical place. Great job keeping it as it was!!”
