Alvar Aalto Reading room of Seinäjoki Library

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.