Kamppi Chapel of Silence

The Kamppi chapel opened in 2012 on Narinkkatori, one of the busiest squares in Helsinki, and its purpose is unusual: it holds no regular services and is not primarily a place of worship but a room for silence, open to anyone who wants to sit down away from the noise outside. The exterior is a curved shell of horizontal spruce strips, oiled and sealed, standing among glass and concrete; the interior is alder, bare and unadorned, lit indirectly from a gap above the wall so that no window shows. The acoustic absorption of the wood removes the street sound almost completely, which is the effect the building was designed for.

What you actually see

• A curved spruce shell - the exterior in horizontal timber strips.
• The bare alder interior - a single unadorned room.
• Light from a hidden gap - no windows, only indirect daylight.
• Street noise removed - the acoustic effect the design produces.

When to go

Year round. Half an hour. Opening hours are daily but limited; check before travelling. Staff are present and conversation is discouraged inside.

Honest expectations

It is one small room and the visit is very short. Photography inside is restricted and talking is not welcome, which surprises visitors treating it as a sight. It can have a queue at busy times, which rather defeats the purpose.

Nearby

Kamppi centre is beside it; the design district lies south.