Alvar Aalto Reading room of Seinäjoki Library - WINDOW RESEARCH INSTITUTESeries

Series Window Behaviorology on Nordic Architecture

Alvar Aalto
Reading room of Seinäjoki Library

Yoshiharu Tsukamoto Laboratory (Institute of Science Tokyo)

11 Jun 2026

Keywords: Architecture; Columns

High windows facing south are continuously positioned above the bookshelves that line the arc of the fan-shaped plan. The light reflected from the horizontal white metal louvers installed on the outside accumulates on the curved, white concrete ceiling in the center of the room, creating a variety of light environments to match the diversity of books. The glass is triple-layered for heat insulation and soundproofing.

Seinäjoki Library
Alvar Aalto
Koulukatu, Seinajoki, 1965

This article is an excerpt from “Windows Stranding the Ethnological and Industrial Networks,” a joint research project concerning windows and the behaviors around them done in collaboration with Institute of Science Tokyo’s Yoshiharu Tsukamoto Laboratory.