Temppeliaukion Church

Yesterday afternoon I had the chance to visit the Temppeliaukion Church, or Rock Church, in Helsinki. This landmark Lutheran Church was designed by architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and built directly into rock in the late 1960s. The church has a unique design, with lots of light around the top and a copper circular ceiling.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Temppeliaukion Church, 25 Jun 2016.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Unique copper ceiling.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Temppeliaukion Church, built into the rock.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Candles along the rock wall.

When I went an organist was playing music on the large organ seen in my top photo. The space is really interesting, and fits naturally with the rock and circular ceiling. What I liked about it is that it did not feel like a traditional cathedral, the church really blended in well with the rocks and windows bringing in natural light. It was a neat place to see, and is one of the most visited sites in Helsinki.