Helsinki is a small cosy town in Northern Europe that can surprise even sophisticated tourists. It is home to Temppeliaukio, a unique church in the rock. The extraordinary architecture is so organically integrated into the rocky terrain that it embodies extravagant technology and the beauty of pristine nature. What else does the temple of the capital of Finland, the construction of which was accompanied by scandals, fascinate art lovers and ordinary travellers?
History of the shrine's construction
The rocky area, located almost in the centre of Helsinki, was allocated by the authorities for the construction of the temple back in 1906. But the competition for the construction of the site among architects was held 3 times. In 1932 the winner was Blomsted, but his project did not satisfy the organising committee. The second competition was won by Siren in 1936, but his idea was not realised because of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War and then the Second World War. The winners of the third competition, held in 1961, were the architect brothers Suomalainen - Timo and Tuomonosil.
Their project was called Kivikirkko, which translates from Finnish as "stone church". The plan was to cut the church into the rock, and the parish buildings were to be placed on the surrounding hills. Kivikirkko was named after them.
According to the brothers' concept, the entire Temppeliaukio square was utilised and the area was preserved in its original form, which was in line with the conditions of the competition. The idea of combining an architectural object with rock surfaces played a crucial role in the approval of the project - it pleased the jury, which chose the winner from 67 applicants.
Erection of the church began in 1968. In order for the church to fit inside the rock, explosives formed a 12 metre deep crater. The religious edifice completely filled the hollow. Only its spherical dome, which resembles a UFO saucer, remained outside.
The construction of the building lasted 1 year. About 650 million euros were spent on the project. The consecration of the Lutheran church took place in 1969, which made the parish active. At first the religious building was called Taivalahti, but later, in 1971, renamed Temppeliaukio.
Scandals, criticism, confessions
Architectural experimentation was discouraged in conservative Finnish society. Because of its extravagant forms, the church was nicknamed the devil's defence bunker, the stone mosque. Activists expressed dissatisfaction with the costliness of the building and defaced the walls of the church with protest graffiti.
Even after progressive European architects appreciated Suomalainenov's idea and added Temppeliaukio Church to the list of 100 architectural sights of the world, the uniqueness of the building in the rock was uncompromisingly not recognised at home. Only in 1999 it was included in the exposition of the Museum of Finnish Architecture. In 2003, the religious building was named one of the 12 most important churches of Finland in the post-war era. In 2004, the shrine, which had endured a boycott and bureaucratic delays, was given the status of an architectural monument. Thanks to widespread recognition in its homeland, Temppeliaukio has become Helsinki's most popular attraction.
Photo: Jorge Lascar. Source: Flickr
Architectural features of Temppeliaukio
Due to the fact that much of the structure is inside the rock, only its copper dome is visible on the surface. Therefore, visitors to the church Temppeliaukio reminds visitors of an Irish tomb, an alien ship, some kind of secret object. The entrance to the temple is represented by a massive metal door located at street level. Through it the visitor enters the main hall, which creates a feeling of its openness, hospitality.
The walls of the shrine are formed by rough rocks, making the interior of the room pristine, untouched. The main hall is oval in shape. To finish its walls used a combination of rock, rubble stone and inserts of cut granite, which created a special atmosphere of connection with nature, giving a sense of reliability.
Natural surfaces of the supporting structure of the temple are harmoniously combined with artificial ones - concrete floor and copper dome. The latter is a wire circle with a diameter of 24 metres, supported on massive reinforced concrete beams.
The height of the walls of the church varies from 5 to 9 metres, the ceiling - 12 metres. But the room is visually stretched out also because of the natural light. It is represented by 180 windows, serving as a unifying element of the dome and solid wall.
The ascetic interior of the sanctuary can be seen from the copper-clad balcony. The church decoration is represented by a pedestal with a cross, birch benches and candle stands. There are no icons or bas-reliefs on the walls, but this does not make the interior meagre, but emphasises its tranquillity. Over time, the distinctive architecture of the temple was supplemented by:
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a crucifix and font by the artist Moishio;
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textile decoration by Tellerwo Stremmer;
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a unique 3001-pipe organ by Maestro Virtanen.
Interesting facts
This Lutheran church in the Helsinki metropolitan area has a few highlights:
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bright illumination, giving the building a UFO-like appearance at night;
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good acoustics provided by the stone walls of the building. Thanks to this, organ, classical and even rock concerts are organised here;
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replacing the ringing of bells with music by Finnish composer Kuusisto, played from loudspeakers.
Services and concerts at Temppeliaukio
Services at Temppeliaukio temple are conducted in 2 languages: Finnish (all the time) and English (Sunday at 14.00). They can be attended on weekends or holidays. The church hymns are known by most of the faithful, which creates a mesmerising effect of mass singing. The hall has a capacity for 750 parishioners, so it gets noisy at full occupancy..
Thanks to the excellent acoustics, concerts of live music (instrumental, organ) are organised here. To attract young people play rock, metal, because of which the religious building was named Rock Church. Attendance to most of the performances is free..
The schedule and cost of attending the church
Temppeliaukio's accessibility to parishioners and tourists depends on the season. In summer, the church is open daily from 10:00 to 17:45 on weekdays (from 11:00 on Sunday). In winter, the church functions until 17:00, with a break of 11:00-13:30 on Wednesdays..
Every year Temppeliaukio is visited by 500 thousand tourists. Admission is free for children, for adults the ticket costs 4 euros.
How to get to the attraction
Temppeliaukio is located on Temple Square in the middle of a residential neighbourhood in the Finnish capital. It can be reached by:
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by public transport. There are trams 1, 2 (stop "Sammonkatu"), numerous buses (stop "Kauppakorkeakoulut");
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by taxi;
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on foot (from metro station "Ruoholahti").
Interesting history, unique architecture based on the combination of natural and artificial materials, a variety of activities for parishioners and visitors - all this makes Temppeliaukio temple popular among tourists. It is a gem of Finnish design with a special atmosphere, which has no analogues.
