Oulu to host Alvar Aalto Week 2026

Oulu will host Alvar Aalto Week 2026, an event featuring guided tours, exhibitions, architecture lectures, a film festival, and a design fair. The week is inspired by a commemorative plaque at the University of Oulu School of Architecture, which bears the handprints of Alvar Aalto and architect Otto-Iivari Meurman.

The celebrations aim to highlight Aalto’s industrial architectural contributions to Oulu, including the Toppila Sulphite Pulp Mill, the Koskikeskus district, and the Typpi Oy Red-Brick Industrial Community. Mayor Ari Alatossava noted that the event will bring visibility to these lesser-known industrial districts. Some of these sites, such as the AaltoSiilo, are currently being repurposed into cultural and community spaces.