FIN: Temppeliaukio Church

Lutherinkatu 3, Helsinki, Finland
Opening hours vary throughout the year
Generally opens at 9.30am-12.00pm and closes at 5.00pm-8.00pm daily

A place of worship unlike any I'd ever seen prior to my visit to Helsinki, Temppeliaukio Church is a Lutheran church built directly into solid rock. Visited by approximately half a million people annually, the church was constructed from February 1968 to September 1969.

It was a rather gloomy morning when my BFF and I walked to the Töölö neighbourhood where the church is located.

The staff control the number of visitors inside the church.

The entrance fee to the church is €3.00 (~S$4.65) per adult. Those aged 16 years old and below can enter the church for free.

The gift sells a variety of interesting postcards, including those with The Moomins design.

There's no Indonesian or Malay language.

The church is the end product of an architectural competition that took place in 1961. It was won by a brother pair, Timo Suomalainen and Tuomo Suomalainen.

The church is bathed in natural light that enters through the skylight surrounding the copper dome.

The church is often used as a concert venue because of its excellent acoustic quality.

The rock walls were actually not included in the original competition entry for fear that they might be dismissed as being too radical. However, the idea eventually went through with the help of Paavo Berglund, a conductor, and Mauri Parjo, an acoustical engineer.

A natural ice-age crevice is used as the altarpiece.

The organ has 43 stops and 3001 pipes.

Let's take a look at the interior from the balcony.

Due to cost-cutting, the interior space of the church is only about one-quarter of its original plan.

Click on the panorama shot below to enjoy the view.

There's a tree-like sculpture near the exit. I'm not too sure what stickers is the sign referring to, but perhaps they're worn by those involved in group tours.

Don't miss the chance to marvel at this architectural wonder when you're in Helsinki.