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One of the most famous sights in Helsinki is the Temppeliaukio Kirkko or Rock Church. This very untraditional Lutheran church was constructed between 1968 & 1969 and is one circular dome design, and hewn out of solid rock reaching down far below ground level. Temppeliaukion is somewhat of an engineering marvel but at first it was considered controversial because of its "spaceship" looking design. The concave glass and copper roof appears to be emerging from the ground and that is virtually the only part of the building that can be viewed from the outside. The landscape around the outside of the church is stark and lunar in appearance. Our tour guide told us that 2 young architects, brothers Timo & Tuomo Suomalainen, won a competition for its design and I feel pretty certain you will never see anything like it anywhere elsewhere in the world.
Inside, the acoustics are said to be superb which obviously why it is a marvelous place for concerts, even though it is still a functioning place of worship. The inside design lines are clean and unadorned---there is no altar, pews are made of light birchwood, and of course, the walls are jagged rock. Glass panels perfectly placed in the copper roof allow for extremely good natural lighting on sunny, clear days.
Admission is free.
The church is open Mondays & Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, Sundays and Holidays from 10:00am - 8:00pm; Wednesday 10am to 6pm; Saturdays 10am - 6pm Leave a Comment Phone: 358-9-494-698Directions: Probably within walking distance of Sibelius Park & Monument
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The absolute highlight of my visit to Helsinki was the Temppeliaukio Church or 'Rock Church'. This is not a church like any other, the architecture is really special, and that creates a very special atmosphere inside.
The church was designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and dates back to 1969. The church is quarried out of a natural bedrock. They have left the walls like they were, naturally created by the rocks.
Opening hours
Monday - Tuesday: 10am - 8pm
(in winter Tuesday: 10am-12:45pm and 3:30pm - 6pm)
Wednesday: 10am - 6:30pm
Thursday - Friday: 10am - 8pm
Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 11:45am - 1:45pm and 3:30pm - 6pm
Closed during religious services. Leave a Comment Phone: +358 (0)9 494 698
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One of the highlights of Helsinki are her beautiful, awe-inspiring churches. The Rock or the Temppeliaukio Church is one such example, designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1969, it remains one of Helsinki's foremost attractions.
Hewn from solid rock and covered with a concave copper roof, this church is a must see when you're there. Remember to light a candle for your prayers when you're there. Leave a Comment
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The Temppeliaukio (Rock) Church was designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1969. They decided to leave the mound of rock that they found, and rather than just take parts of the rock to build a church elsewhere, they chose to quarry into the rock, excavating it. The ceiling is made of copper wire and has a skylight (to let in natural light) circling the wire. If stretched out, the copper wire would run for 22km. Due to it's copper ceiling and the shape of the room, it makes for great acoustics and the church often holds concerts.
From the outside it is hard to tell that there is a church, or really any kind of structure there at all. But this is one place you shouldn't miss while you're in Helsinki, whether you are religious or not. It is a beautiful church and if you can get there away from the crowds it is peaceful as well. Leave a Comment
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The churches in Helsinki are really fantastic, and the Rock Church is nothing else than that too. From the outside you’ll just see the green roof, and if you don’t know you’ll never think that there is a church inside the mountain. Lucky for me I had my own guide with me… Thanks Pia. :)
Inside it’s amazing to see how it’s really built into the rock, where the walls being just as they were when they “smashed” the rock. Still it’s very light inside, since the window goes around the whole church, and makes the feeling you get inside the church even better.
When I was there it was some kind of concert, with older ladies singing, so it was maybe even nicer than normal. My advice for you is to go there, sit down and feel the atmosphere, light a candle, think of something you care of, and then feel the atmosphere again. A m a z i n g… Leave a Comment
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Fantastic acoustics! There was no concert while we were there, but the played Sibelius on the stereo, and it was great!
Architects for the church were Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. It was built 1968 - 1969 by excavating a rock, and it is covered by a glass / copper dome. Seat capacity is 750. In addition to giving the great acoustics, the rock also protects the church from noice from traffic and people. No wonder this church is popular both among believers, tourists and music lovers. The organ is spectacular; it has 3001 pipes! What a pity nobody was playing it during our visit!
Opening hours:
Mon - Fri 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sat 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun 12:00 noon - 1:35 pm and 3:15 - 5:45 pm Leave a Comment
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It's an absolute 'must' when you come to Helsinki. This round temple was made in solid rock in 1969. The inside is simple and spatious, any decorations here would be out of place. The temple has wonderful acoustics, hence frequent concerts and music presentations. Don't rush out; I stayed here for more than an hour listening to piano music and 'absorbing' the atmosphere of the place. After you go out, it's worth climbing to the top to see the interesting construction of the church from outside. Leave a Comment
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Amazing rock and metal construction... and very calm place... the walls are made of rock and the ceiling is made of copper. Plus the lights and you have a nice combination.
Unfortunately my pictures of it are not scanned, so you will need to Leave a Comment
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This unusual church was carved out of rock in 1969. It is supposed to have an excellent acoustics and therefor quite a few concerts take place here.
Unfortunately a wedding was going to take place there when I visited and the tourist were kicked out.
Opening times: Mo, Tue, Thu and Sat from 10am-8pm, Wed and Fri from 10am-6pm, Sun 11.45am-1.45pm and 3.30pm-6pm (in summer).
The church is closed during religious servives. Leave a Comment Phone: +358 9 494 698
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You have to feel something when entering this beautiful and unique church. Its walls are made of rocks and the whole church is dug out of solid rock. There's candles everywhere. The church were completed in 1969 and it's one of the most popular attraction in Helsinki.
Most of the times the church is full of Japanese tourists.
It's usually open 10 am-5 pm every day. The entrance is free. Leave a Comment Phone: +358 9-494698Directions: Take the tram 3B or 3T to get there
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