Astafyeva Mary Excavated directly into solid rock

Astafyeva Mary

Excavated directly into solid rock, the Temppeliaukio church is situated in the heart of Helsinki, at the end of Fredrikinkatu. Because of its special architecture, the church, completed in 1969, is one of the main attractions in Helsinki. The church hall is covered with a dome, lined with copper and supported on the rock walls by reinforced concrete beams.

After the wars, a third architecture contest was organised, and it was won by architects, Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, in 1961. In the winning proposal the rock was kept as intact as possible, by embedding the church itself inside the rock.

Public opinion was against the plan. In the newspapers the project was called a “rock mosque”, a “million mark church” and “devil defence bunker”. People wanted a traditional cathedral instead. The following year there were over half a million visitors. The church became a favourite of foreign visitors and the most important architectural sight in Helsinki.

The church area excavated in the bedrock is entered from street level. The free-form, oval church hall bathes in daylight, which enters through the row of skylights, varying in width, between the rock wall and the dome.

The interior, designed by the architect brothers, repeats the shades of granite, the most common type of stone in Finland: red, mauve and grey. The benches are made of birch. The crucifix, candelabra and font were forged by artist, Kauko Moisio. The textiles were designed by textile artist, Tellervo Strömmer.

The organ, built by Urkurakentamo Veikko Virtanen, has 43 stops. The exterior of the organ was designed by the architects of the church.

It is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The monument was designed by Eila Hiltunen. The monument consists of series of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern.

The purpose of the artist was to capture the essence of the music of Sibelius. The monument weighs 24 tonnes.