Temppeliaukio Rock Church

Temppeliaukio is a church excavated straight into a granite outcrop, its raw rock walls left bare and its shallow copper dome floating above a ring of skylights that pour daylight down the stone. Opened in 1969, it is a masterpiece of modern Finnish architecture and, thanks to that rock, a superb concert space.

History

The church took three competitions. One in the early 1930s produced no design the judges thought good enough, and after a second in 1936 the commission went to J. S. Sirén, whose entry had placed third; work began in November 1939, days before the Winter War stopped it, and the project lay abandoned through the war years. The brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen won a new competition in 1961 with an entry called "Kivikirkko", the Stone Church; building began in February 1968 and the church was consecrated in September 1969. The bare rock is there because of the sound: the architects had planned to face it with smooth concrete, but the conductor Paavo Berglund and the acoustician Mauri Parjo pointed out how much the uneven surface helped the acoustics (Wikipedia, Temppeliaukio Church).

The main sights

• The rock walls - the raw blasted granite left exposed all around the nave.
• The copper dome and skylights - the great disc of copper ringed with light.
• The acoustics - the stone space renowned for concerts and organ music.
• The sunken calm - the quiet, cave-like interior below street level.

When to go

Year-round; midday light through the skylights is best, and a concert is the ideal way to hear the acoustics. It closes for services and events, so check opening times.

What to expect

It is small and quickly seen, and there is now an entry charge that some find steep for a short visit. It can be crowded with tour groups, which breaks the calm. Come for a concert if you can, to appreciate the sound as well as the space.

Nearby

The Toolo district and the Sibelius monument are close; the city centre is a short walk.

Key facts