The new extension has been thought as an elementary volume, a cube, in a respectful opposition to the organic articulation of the existing buildings, to evidence the dualism old/new. The main idea has been to underline the difference betweenthis new infill and the present museums not only in terms of shape but also in terms of materials and use of light, in fact the cube works like a lantern, with a glazed facade built up on a concrete plinth stuck into the earth. The extension is set up as an hub, with a very fluent circulation inside and opened to the outside by means of two public entrances, one overlooking Alvar Aallon Katu and Ruusupuisto Square and the other facing the car parking and the bus stop uphill.
The project aims also to design a new visual relationtship between the two buildings and the opposite square introducing a new public shared entrance for the Museums Park. Therefore the presence of car plots has been limited and the open spaces among the street reorganized leaving place to the nature. The new design of open spaces has been finally harmonized with the actual square setting to find a unique solution for the overall area.

Project: 2015
Promoter: Alvar Aalto Foundation and City of Jyväskylä (Finland)
Project team: PS (associate, Architect), Marianna Trapani (associate, Architect), Lucia Talamona (associate, Architect)