10th International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar – Checkpoint: themes and first speakers listed

The 10th International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar – Checkpoint will be held on Tuesday 10.6.2025 in the Main Building of the University of Jyväskylä (Alvar Aalto, 1954-55). The one-day seminar opens up the challenges of today’s design field amidst major global changes. Three topical themes are Authenticity, Cohabitation and Evolution. We look with optimism towards a diverse future of sustainable development in design. The seminar’s first speakers are now listed: Designer Ineke Hans (NL), Professor Design & Social Context at UdK-Berlin (DE); Design Professor Ann Light, University of Sussex (UK) and Malmö University (SE); Design lead and entrepreneur Zeynep Falay Von Flittner, Falay Transition Design (FI/TUR); Design historian and curator Kaisu Savola, Aalto University (FI); Industrial designer Harri Koskinen, head of Friends of Industry Ltd. (FI) and CEO Hanna Neuvo, FYRA Design Agency (FI).

We invite you to follow the live programme on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, starting 11 am at the Main Building of the University of Jyväskylä. The English-language event will be streamed to a global audience. Take advantage of Early Bird ticket prices before the end of April 2025. Join now and take your friends, students, colleagues with you! Virtual participation in the seminar is free of charge! Even different time-zones are no obstacle: after registration the recordings will be available until the end of September.

Versatile side programme
The seminar side programme on 10.–11.6.2025 is dedicated to design heritage. This year marks 90 years since the founding of Artek, and 13 Aalto buildings have been nominated for inscription in 2026 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The open to all lecture connected to the Artek anniversary and Visibly Invisible – Artek’s Drawing Office 1936–2004 -exhibition will be held on Tuesday 10.6. by Timo Penttilä and Antti Tevajärvi of Artek 2nd Cycle at the Aalto2 Museum Centre. The side programme provides also guided visits to Alvar Aalto Architectural sites, such as Säynätsalo Town Hall, University of Jyväskylä Campus (10.6.), Villa Mairea and Paimio Sanatorium (a bus tour 11.6. Jyväskylä-Noormarkku-Paimio-Helsinki). 

The International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar was established 30 years ago as a discussion forum in the spirit of Alvar Aalto's functional and ecological design. Visual identity of the event has been since beginning by Graphic designer, Artist Aimo Katajamäki. The event is arranged every third year alternately with the Alvar Aalto Symposium and Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Seminar. Produced by the Alvar Aalto Academy / Alvar Aalto Foundation together with the main partner, the City of Jyväskylä, and other 2025 partners, Aalto University, Archinfo, Artek, Cumulus Association, Finnish Design Shop, Finnish Design Info, Habitare Pro, and the University of Jyväskylä.