Kampi's "chapel of silence" in helsinki. Chapel of Silence Kampi Where is the Chapel of Silence

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Chapel of Silence Kamppi

This strange structure was so pleasant to look at, and the even tree beckoned to touch it, stroke its reliefs. It seemed that if you try, you can catch the faint smell of wood. But I didn't dare to sniff it :)
- Where are we? - I woke up from my thoughts.
- Hello! Where were we going ?! You wanted to see it ?! - the husband was indignant.
- Exactly! It's Kamppi! Chapel of Silence!

A strange place was chosen by the architects for the Chapel of Silence - Narinkkatori Square seems to be the most crowded place in Helsinki. And even more captivating is the fact that among the human noise and din, the architects managed to achieve almost frightening silence.

We were very lucky and unlucky at the same time in the Chapel of Silence. But, to make it clear what our luck consisted, I will first tell you how everything works there.

The building, as I have already noticed, resembles a huge wooden ship, and the color of this ship is sunny amber. Even in the gloomiest and rainy weather, it always seems sunny next to the chapel. Therefore, I would not even notice the inconspicuous rectangular extension, in which the entrance to the chapel was made and the lobby of which was organized by the reception of social services and parish workers, read by priests, if I had not rested my nose on the map at the entrance.

So, now about why we were unlucky. In the lobby of the chapel, a children's playground was organized, on which a tiny child languished in boredom, periodically drawing attention to itself by crying. This cry was so piercing that the silence, at all, disappeared from the chapel. But when the child calmed down, the silence returned, and then it was the time of our luck, because there was no one else in the chapel except us.

Inside the chapel, sometimes the silence became absolute. In those minutes it seemed to me that I could hear (I do not feel, but I did hear) the beating of my heart. And the husband "complained" that at times he had to hold back his own breath, it seemed so loud. Although I sat next to him and did not hear any of his breathing.

Of course, when tourists came in, the silence became not so absolutely penetrating, but, nevertheless, it remained silence.

Despite the fact that all the interior decoration and furniture is made of natural wood, there is no feeling that I got into a Finnish sauna. Warm, cozy, natural, but not a sauna :) The furniture is very simple in its design. Soft pebbles aren't that easy, though. I want to come up and sit on a pebble, and when you understand that the stones are not stone, I want to lie on them, but somehow uncomfortable :) The simplest thing in the temple, in my opinion, is the altar and the altar cross. Such a simple, inconspicuous silver cross - the work of the jeweler Antti Nieminen

The chapel, like a real temple, has room for fire and candles.

Kamppi Chapel of Silence (Kampin kappeli / Kamppi Chapel of Silence ) - a small sanctuary of tranquility in the middle of the lively Narinkka square, near the metro station and shopping center Kamppi and the bus station Helsinki... In appearance, you will not guess what kind of windowless structure it is, its architecture is so unusual, resembling either a wooden bowl, or an egg, or a ship (perhaps even a space ship).

The Chapel of Silence is not only the quintessence of minimalist Finnish design (the project was even awarded a prestigious architectural award!), But also a special place by design: it is conceived as a cocoon of privacy and peace, a refuge for quiet prayer or confidential conversation, giving everyone in need a respite from the noise of the city and hustle and bustle.

The Chapel of Silence and its Philosophy. An oasis of tranquility in the center of Helsinki

Helsinki may not be the largest European capital, but this city is sometimes too tiring. The Finns and guests of the city can now find refuge from the hustle and bustle in chapel of silence Kamppi built in 2012 on Narinkka Square ( Narinkka /Narinkkatori) according to the project of the local architectural bureauK2S.

Strictly speaking, this is not even quite a chapel, but a place for healing souls: divine services and other religious ceremonies are not held here (only periodic prayers), but social workers, priests and psychologists are on duty, ready from morning till night to talk with everyone about his problems and provide assistance.

The Kamppi Chapel of Silence is not confined to a specific denomination. They are glad to see anyone here, regardless of their religiosity and worldview.

Who built the chapel of silence and when? A brief history of the chapel

Kamppi Chapel of Silence, otherwise called a chapel or chapel of silence, was built as part of the program “ Helsinki: World Design Capital 2012» ( World Design Capital). The capital of Finland received this honorary title by the decision of the International Council for Industrial Design (ICSID).

The initiative to build a chapel on Narinkka Square came from the Helsinki City Planning Department, which organized the architectural competition. The customer was the Helsinki Parish Association ( Helsinginseurakuntayhtymä). The unions of the parishes of Espoo and Vantaa also took part in planning the future activities of the chapel. Currently, the chapel is jointly managed by the parishes of Helsinki and the City Department of Social Welfare.

Chapel under construction (photo from the site):

Unusual project wooden chapel in the center of Helsinki have developed Finnish architects Mikko Summanen, Kimmo Lintula and Niko Sirola ( Mikko Summanen, Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola) from architectural bureauK2S.

The architectural and design solution of the building aroused the interest of specialists even before its construction. In 2010, the project, which had not yet been implemented at that time, was marked by the international architectural award International Architecture Awards... This competition is organized by the Chicago Athenaeum, the Museum of Architecture and Design ( Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design).

Due to its unusual shape and proximity to the shopping area chapel of silence has gained incredible popularity among residents Helsinki and tourists immediately after the opening. In the first six months, it was visited by about 250 thousand people.

Many visit the chapel to admire the original design and soak up the peaceful atmosphere, but there are also many who come to satisfy spiritual needs: to pray or receive spiritual and psychological help.

Journalists named the chapel of silence new architectural landmark of Helsinki and noted that this project “ proves how exciting and exhilarating modern architecture can be at its best» .

So the modest size of the building turned into one of the most visited religious buildings in Finland.

Kamppi Chapel of Silence as an example of modern Finnish architecture

The Kamppi Chapel of Silence is interesting not only for its design, but also for its extraordinary architectural design, as well as for its special atmosphere.

The Lutheran Church of Finland is generally supportive of modern architecture. An example of this is the famous Church in the Rock (Temppeliaukio) (1969). But the project chapels of silence remarkable for the fact that it is not only and not so much a cult building, but a spiritual and social center, the fruit of cooperation between the church and the city authorities. It is no coincidence that in the chapel you can talk to both a priest and a social worker. This is a completely new concept, which is reflected in the architecture and symbolism of the building (photo source:).

According to the chief architect Mikko Summanena, the architecture and geometry of the chapel was determined precisely by its purpose and town-planning position, and not by religious traditions. " Traditional churches are now experiencing difficulties in all Western countries. It is required to find new forms of communication with people and rendering assistance to them. In the case of Kamppi Chapel, this goal is achieved by creating a public space of silence and contemplation next to one of Finland's busiest business districts.» .

Both the shape of the building and the choice of material are unusual. In the 21st century, when glass, concrete and plastic dominate everywhere, an object suddenly appears in the center of a European city wooden architecture, albeit futuristic outlines.

It must be said that recently wood has been gaining popularity again in Finland as a building material. The reason is the attractive building properties of wood and its reputation as an environmentally friendly material with a minimum level of harmful emissions.

In accordance with the traditions of the national Finnish architecture, all wood used for the decoration of the facade and interior of the chapel is local. It was delivered from forests located within a radius of 200 km from the construction site. The environmental friendliness of the design also manifested itself in the low energy consumption, which is achieved due to dense insulation, a well-thought-out lighting, ventilation and air conditioning system.

The curving façade of the tiny chapel is constructed from rows of horizontal bent spruce laths and finished with nanotechnological transparent pigmented wax. The frame of the building is made up of massive beams made of glued pine lumber.

The construction of the chapel turned out to be a very non-trivial task for the company. Vahanen, which was engaged in the design of building structures. The chapel is different from standard buildings. Its shape is unique, and all elements and their joints had to be made to individual measurements.

The shape of the chapel of silence and her symbolism can be interpreted in different ways: someone compares it to Noah's ark. Someone talks about a wooden bowl, a flower pot, or “ vase for the soul". Architect Mikko Summanen notes that due to the specific texture of the facade, the chapel resembles the side of a ship. Another common version is comparison with an egg.

The egg-shaped shape is perfect for places of worship. It is known that the idea of an egg as one of the most important religious symbols already existed in ancient times, in pagan times. In many cultures around the world, the egg is considered a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth.

Where is the Chapel of Silence?

The Chapel of Silence is shaped like an egg and is located southeast of the shopping center. Kamppi and north of the street Simonkatu- one of the main city arteries. Situational plan and top view:

The authors of the project deliberately chose the location for the chapel in the midst of a seething district Kamppi, on the south side of Narinkka Square ( Narinkka /Narinkkatori), very close to the metro station Kamppi and the shopping center of the same name ( cm. location of the chapel on the map).

Kamppi- the business and shopping center of Helsinki, one of the busiest areas of the city, and the purpose of the chapel is to give peace and solitude in the midst of this hustle and bustle, even for a short time to escape from the world of shopping centers, banks and offices. Thanks to its streamlined shape, the chapel organically merged with the urban landscape and, despite its small size, turned into a semantic center of the surrounding buildings.

You can approach the chapel from any side. If you walk from the street Simonkatu, you find yourself in a small square in front of Narinkka square. From there you need to go down to the level below the stairs, to the entrance to the chapel (photo source:).

Two entrances are located in glass facades facing, respectively, Narinkka Square and the Glass Palace ( Lasipalatsi).

Kamppi Chapel of Silence Opening Hours: the chapel is open to the public on weekdays from 08:00 to 20:00; Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.

The entrance to the chapel is free.

Take pictures in the chapel, silence is permitted, but no flash.

The chapel does not hold services, weddings, baptisms and other church rituals, but you can come here for a personal conversation with a representative of the parish (priest) or a social worker. You can put a candle, buy postcards.

For a schedule of prayers, concerts and other events, see

... The Chapel of Silence appeared in the city center in the spring of 2012, in the Year of Design, and quite unexpectedly, like from a magician's hat.
... Entering the Chapel, for some reason, with all their might, people begin to pretend to be unbearable reverence and remember the rules of unimaginable politeness. Despite a worthy plan, you will hardly be able to stay in silence ...
… What a wonderful idea - to erect a monument to strawberries! Well you have to think of it! And tell me now that Finns are pragmatic crackers, not romantics!)

I'm in and

THE CHAPEL OF SILENCE IN CAMPPI

This facility was built in the spring of 2012, and I want to note that the appearance of this peculiar structure on the central square of Narinkkatori, which is next to the bus station / shopping center / Kamppi metro station, was quite spectacular. As if from a magician's hat. Finns, it should be noted, are quite conservative and think for a very long time in terms of the appearance of any new object in the usual urban landscape.

What can I say about the Chapel? The information is fairly standard.
1) Built in the "Year of Design" and intended to serve as proof of the fact that Helsinki is the "Capital of Design";
2) Architects - Mikko Summanen, Kimmo Lintula and Niko Sirola;
3) The wood outside is a wax-soaked bent spruce, and inside is black alder. Ash furniture.
The wooden structure is adjoined by a rectangle of glass and concrete, creating a rather unexpected contrast of the antagonism of materials.

Conceptually, the Chapel of Silence is designed to "prevent the noise and vanity of the outside world from getting inside, in order to give visitors a glimpse of the spiritual world."

The chapel is open on weekdays 7: 00-20: 00, on weekends 10: 00-18: 00. The entrance is free.

Entering the Chapel, for some reason, people with all their strength begin to pretend to be unbearable reverence and remember the rules of unimaginable politeness. Despite a worthy plan, you will hardly be able to stay in silence, because constantly someone enters or exits, locks click, bags fall, soles creak, someone sneezes or goes into a fit of a criminal cough, phones ring, etc., introducing unintended producers of sound noises in a state of extreme embarrassment.

I call this building the Glass.
Personally, my relationship with the Glass of Silence did not quite work out. Because before I had time to penetrate inside with a face depicting an unprecedented degree of decency and gracefully land on an ash bench, I first sang sms three times, then the phone emitted a cheerful tune, ruining everyone around the process of communicating with this very silence. As luck would have it! It was very uncomfortable ...
In addition, having angrily cut off the phone, I could not catch the moment of shavasana in any way, my head was busy thinking about how to use the room more practically. For some reason, I thought that a cylindrical room would be perfect for stunt stunts. Vzhzhzhi, vzhzhzhzhii, how cool it would be to see mad motorcyclists here !!! ... * pressed her head into her shoulders * ...

MONUMENT TO STRAWBERRY

I love it. What a wonderful idea - to erect a monument to strawberries! Well you have to think of it!
I came across him quite by accident.
Located in the very center. Approximately opposite the building next to which the sculpture is located, across the road is the well-known equestrian monument to Mannerheim and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, so it's easy to find.
Sculptor - Jukka Lehtinen.
Year of construction - 2007 .
What is most surprising is the semantic sculpture. The Finns have a proverb, similar to our "Away is good, but at home is better", which sounds like this: "Oma maa mansikka, muu maa mustikka" - "Own land - strawberries, foreign - blueberries".
I remember how surprised I was when, while taking pictures of silver metal berries and flowers, I accidentally looked down. The spring snow on the lawn where the Strawberry was installed was already melting, and suddenly I saw real green strawberry leaves! And tell me now that Finns are pragmatic crackers, not romantics!)))

Opposite, through the branches of the trees, a monument to Mannerheim is visible

How touching!

And here is such a strawberry lawn here in the summer! Please note that this is CENTER Helsinki!)

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Narinkkatori Square in Kamppi is far from the quietest place in the center of the Finnish capital. Rather, on the contrary: one side of it is entirely occupied by a bus station, combined with a huge shopping complex, countless shops and cafes stretch along the perimeter. There are always crowds of people here, and something noisy happens every day, including races on snowmobiles on an artificial track. The only resting place in this rumble is the Kamppi Chapel of Silence, built in 1912 as part of the World Design Helsinki program.

What to watch

The copper bowl (egg? Ship? Flying saucer?) On the south side of the square stands out sharply against the background of the surrounding modern buildings. The outer surface is made of bent spruce laths treated with glaze wax. You can get inside through the entrances to the adjacent glass pavilion.

The interior is finished with black alder, simple furniture is made of light ash, the only decoration of the hall is a silver crucifix on the pulpit. Light falls from a height of 11 m through the gap between the ceiling and the sienna.

The architects have fulfilled their task - to completely cut off the city noise and encourage people to listen to their own souls. The trouble is that more and more tourists are entering here, destroying the sacred atmosphere with loud conversations and flashlights.

Divine services are regularly held in the chapel, their schedule is posted in the entrance pavilion. This work is carried out by volunteers from the public organization "Church in Helsinki" and the city social service.

Practical information

Address: Helsinki, Simonkatu.

How to get there: by metro to the station. Kampin metroasema, trams no. 7, 7H, 9, 9H, bus no. 23N to the stop. Simonkatu

Working hours: Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 20:00, on weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. The entrance is free.

Natalia Burnos

On February 1, 2012, an unusual landmark appeared on the city map - KAMPINKAPPELI - Chapel of Silence.

Kamppi's chapel of silence made a lot of noise. And its numerous visitors cannot be called quiet: crowds of emotional Chinese and Japanese tourists with loud whispers, rustling of packages, constant movements, clicking and flashing cameras (it should be noted that shooting inside is prohibited so as not to distract parishioners from being in the sacred space).

In one word - vanity!

But in Kamppinkappel a feeling of calmness will invariably cover you, wrap you up and make you find something divine inside and listen to His silence, feel yourself in an egg, warm, cozy and dear. Such a protective design find - ergonomics and harmony, both inside and outside!

Kamppi Chapel of Silence is located in Helsinki, in a very crowded place on Narinkkatori Square, designed for privacy and meeting people. It offers the opportunity to enjoy the tranquility of the most vibrant place in Finland.

Church in Helsinki (Kirkko Helsingissä) and the Helsinki Social Service are responsible for the chapel. The parish associations of Espoo and Vantaa were also involved in planning the activities. In the chapel, you can meet with ward and Social Services staff for personal conversations. The activities of the chapel provide for the development of forms of voluntary work. The chapel also provides information on services provided by parishes and social services in Helsinki.

Divine services or church rites - baptisms and weddings - are not held at the Kamppi Chapel of Silence; this space is open every day from morning to evening for privacy and meetings. From autumn 2012, the chapel is scheduled to hold short services in the form of regularly repeated prayers.

The chapel was designed by architects Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola and Mikko Summanen from the K28 architectural bureau. The chapel presents an innovative wooden structure and aroused great interest even before its opening. In particular, the project was awarded The Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award 2010. Kamppi's Chapel of Silence is part of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 program.

The most representative room of the chapel is the main hall with a height of 11.5 m. The sacred silence reigns in the hall, separating visitors from the hustle and bustle outside the walls. The room is filled only by the light falling at an angle and the feeling of warmth from the tree.

The inner walls of the chapel are sheathed with carefully fitted milled black alder planks.

Simplified furniture of the hall is made of solid ash. The silver altar cross is a work of the jeweler Antti Nieminen. The textile design elements are the work of textile artist Tiina Uimonen.

The facades are made of horizontal spruce slats bent at different radii, treated with glazing wax using nanotechnology. The frame is made of solid milled glued wooden frames. The oval shape of the small building allows it to fit well into the urban environment. At the same time, the interior of the chapel is always ready to welcome the visitor into the safe embrace of its soft forms.

The chapel can be approached from all sides. From Simonkatu Street, visitors enter a small park opening towards Narinkkatori Square, from where they descend by stairs to the entrance platform. Only the central hall is located in the main wooden structure. The rest of the premises are located in the basement, facing towards Narinkkatori square. The entrance lobby also serves as a venue for exhibitions and receptions.

The entrance is through a glass base, which leads to both the Narinkkatori square and the Lasipalasti (“Glass Palace”) body.