Natalia Burnos
On February 1, 2012, an unusual landmark appeared on the city map - KAMPINKAPPELI - the Chapel of Silence.
The Kamppi 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, the rustle of packages, constant movements, clicks and flashes of cameras (it should be noted that shooting inside is prohibited so as not to distract parishioners from being in the sacred space).
In a word - vanity!
But in Kamppinkappeli, a sense of calm 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 out!
The Kamppi Chapel of Silence is located in Helsinki, in a very crowded place on Narinkkatori Square, designed for solitude and meeting people. It offers the opportunity to enjoy peace in the busiest place in Finland.
The Church in Helsinki (Kirkko Helsingissä) and the Helsinki Social Services are in partnership with the chapel. Espoo and Vantaa parish associations were also involved in planning activities. In the chapel, you can meet with members of the parish and Social Services for personal discussions. The activities of the chapel provide for the development of forms of voluntary work. The chapel also provides information about the services of parishes and social services in Helsinki.
Divine services or church ceremonies - baptisms and weddings - are not held in the Kamppi Chapel of Silence; this room is open every day from morning to evening for privacy and meetings. From the autumn of 2012, the chapel is scheduled to hold short services in the form of regularly repeated prayers.
The designers of the chapel are the architects Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola and Mikko Summanen from the architectural office K28. The chapel is an innovative wooden structure and attracted great interest even before its opening. In particular, the project was awarded The Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award 2010. The Kamppi Chapel of Silence is part of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 program.
The most representative room of the chapel is the main hall, 11.5 m high. Sacred silence reigns in the hall, separating visitors from the bustle outside the walls. The room is filled only by the light falling at an angle and the feeling of warmth from the wood.
The inner walls of the chapel are sheathed with carefully fitted milled black alder beams.
The simplified furniture of the hall is made of solid ash. The silver altar cross is the work of the jeweler Antti Nieminen. Textile design elements - 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 massive 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 take 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 square that opens in the direction of Narinkkatori Square, from where they go down the stairs to the entrance platform. In the main wooden structure, only the central hall is located. The rest of the rooms are located on the ground floor facing towards Narinkkatori Square. The entrance lobby also serves as a space for exhibitions and receptions.
The entrance is arranged through a glass base overlooking both Narinkkatori Square and the Lasipalasti (“Glass Palace”) building.
The chapel is open daily: Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Chapel of Silence Kamppi (Kampin kappeli)
Address: Simonkatu, Helsinki, Finland
Customer: Association of parishes of Helsinki / "Church in Helsinki"
Project work: 2008-2012 Opening: 31/05/2012 Area: 352 m²
Architecture, furniture and interior project: K23 Ou Architectural Bureau
Structural designer: Engineering Bureau Vahanen Oy
Plumbing and automation designer: Engineering office Äyräväinen Oy
Electrical designer: Nurmi Ou Engineering Bureau
Acoustic designer: Akukon Oy Engineering Bureau
Fire engineering designer: L2 paloturvallisuus Oy
Contractor: PakrakОу
Responsible operators: Church in Helsinki (Kirkko Helsingissä) and Helsinki Social Services
Contacts: [email protected]
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Chapel of Silence Kamppi
This strange building 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 did not dare to smell 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! Silence Chapel!
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 uproar, the architects managed to achieve an almost frightening silence.
We were very lucky and unlucky at the same time in the Chapel of Silence. But, in order to make it clear what our luck consisted of, 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 most gloomy and rainy weather, it always seems sunny near the chapel. Therefore, I didn’t even notice the inconspicuous rectangular annex, in which they made the entrance to the chapel and the lobby of which they organized a reception of social services and parish workers, read priests, I didn’t even notice if I didn’t rest my nose on the map at the entrance.
So, now about why we were not lucky. In the vestibule of the chapel, a children's playground was organized, on which someone's tiny child was languishing from boredom, periodically attracting attention by crying. This crying was so piercing that the silence completely disappeared from the chapel. But when the child calmed down, the silence returned, and, then, the time of our luck came, because there was no one else in the chapel except us.
Inside the chapel, sometimes the silence became absolute. In those moments it seemed to me that I could hear (not feel, but just hear) the beating of my heart. And the husband "complained" that at times he had to hold back his own breathing, it seemed so loud. Although I was sitting next to him and did not hear any of his breathing.
Of course, when tourists came in, the silence became not so absolutely piercing, 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 you got into a Finnish sauna. Warm, cozy, natural, but not a sauna :) The furniture is very simple in its execution. Although soft pebbles are not so simple. I want to come up and sit on a pebble, and when you realize that the stones are not made of stone, you want to lie on them, but somehow uncomfortable :) The simplest in the temple, in my opinion, is the altar and the altar cross. A simple, inconspicuous silver cross - the work of the jeweler Antti Nieminen
In the chapel, as in a real temple, there is a place for fire and candles
Chapel of Silence Kamppi (Campin kappeli/Kamppi Chapel of Silence ) - a small reserve of tranquility in the middle of the busy Narinkka Square, near the metro station and the shopping center Kamppi and bus station Helsinki. In appearance, you won’t 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 one).
The Chapel of Silence is not only the quintessence of minimalistic Finnish design (the project even won a prestigious architectural award!), but also a special place in terms of design: it is conceived as a cocoon of solitude and peace, a refuge for quiet prayer or confidential conversation, giving all those in need a respite from the city noise and fuss.
The chapel of silence and its philosophy. An oasis of calm in the center of Helsinki
Helsinki, maybe not the largest European capital, but this city is sometimes too tiring. Finns and visitors to the city can now find refuge from the crowd 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 the healing of souls: services and other religious ceremonies are not held here (only periodic prayers), but social workers, priests and psychologists are on duty, ready to talk with everyone about their problems from morning to evening and provide assistance.
The Kamppi Chapel of Silence is not tied to a particular religion. We are glad to see anyone here, regardless of his religiosity and worldview.
Who and when built the chapel of silence? Brief history of the chapel
Chapel of Silence Kamppi, otherwise known as the 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 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 became the organizer of the architectural competition. The customer was the association of parishes of Helsinki ( helsinginseurakuntayhtyma). The associations of the parishes of Espoo and Vantaa also took part in planning the future activities of the chapel. The chapel is now jointly managed by the parishes of Helsinki and the city's Department of Social Welfare.
Chapel under construction (photo from the site):
An unusual project wooden chapel in the center of Helsinki developed Finnish architects Mikko Summanen, Kimmo Lintula and Nico 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 at that time had not yet been implemented, was awarded an international architecture award International Architecture Awards. This competition is organized by the Chicago Athenaeum, 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 won incredible popularity among the inhabitants Helsinki and tourists immediately after opening. During 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 their spiritual needs: to pray or receive spiritual and psychological help.
Journalists called the chapel of silence new architectural landmark of Helsinki and noted that this project " proves how exciting and exhilarating contemporary architecture can be at its best» .
So a modest-sized building turned into one of the most visited places of worship 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 its special atmosphere.
The Lutheran Church of Finland generally favors modern architecture. An example of this is the famous Church in the rock (Temppeliaukio) (1969). But the project chapels of silence is notable for the fact that it is not only and not so much a religious building as 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 with both the priest and the 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 helping them. In the case of the 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 in recent years, wood has regained popularity 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 finishing 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 low energy consumption, which is achieved through 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 curved spruce slats and finished with nanotech transparent pigmented wax. The frame of the building is made up of massive beams of glued pine timber.
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 with 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 a comparison with egg.
The egg-shaped form 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 world cultures, 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 mall. Kamppi and north of the street Simonkatu- one of the main city arteries. Site plan and top view:
The authors of the project deliberately chose the location for the chapel in the midst of a bustling area Kamppi, on the south side of Narinkka Square ( Narinkka/Narinkkatori), in close proximity 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 meaning of the chapel is to give peace and solitude in the midst of this crowd and bustle, at least for a while to escape from the world of shopping centers, banks and offices. Thanks to its streamlined shape, the chapel has organically merged with the urban landscape and, despite its small size, has become a semantic center of the surrounding buildings.
You can approach the chapel from any direction. 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 one level down the stairs to the entrance to the chapel (photo source:).
Two entrances are located in the glass facades, facing, respectively, Narinkka Square and the Glass Palace ( Lasipalatsi).
Opening hours of the Kamppi Chapel of Silence: the chapel is open for visits on weekdays from 08:00 to 20:00; on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.
Entrance to the chapel is free.
Take pictures silence is allowed in the chapel, but no flash.
Divine services, weddings, baptisms and other church ceremonies are not held in the chapel, but you can come here for a personal conversation with a representative of the parish (priest) or a social worker. You can light a candle, buy postcards.
The schedule of prayers, concerts and other events is given on
H The owl of silence is located in the Kamppi area on Narinkkatori Square (Narinkkatori).
This is a project dedicated to the theme "Helsinki - the capital of design". Creative place. The Kamppi Chapel of Silence is also called the Chapel of Silence. Services (baptisms, funerals) are not held in the chapel, but there are prayer services, although the Kamppi Chapel of Silence is not tied to a particular religion. We are glad to see anyone here, regardless of his religiosity and worldview ...
The chapel was built in one year in 2012.
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The initiative to build a chapel on Narinkka Square came from the Helsinki City Planning Department, which became the organizer of the architectural competition. Studio K2S won the City Planning Department's competition to build the chapel in 2008.
The wooden chapel with a curving façade was designed by architects Mikko Summanen, Kimmo Lintula and Niko Sirola of K2S (pictured below).
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Chapel building.
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In 2012, the chapel was visited by 250 thousand people, with 750 of whom personal conversations were held and psychological assistance was provided. (C) Wikipedia))) a terrible place, apparently ...
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Inside, it’s really almost deathly silence ... but it’s good to think ...
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The height of the main hall is 11.5 m. The inner walls of the chapel are sheathed with carefully fitted milled black alder beams.
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Simplified ash furniture. There are even pillows to lie down ...
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The silver altar cross is the work of the Finnish jeweler Antti Nieminen. Vestments of the throne - textile artist Tiina Uimonen. Everything is just at the level of minimalism ...
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The facades are made of horizontal spruce slats bent at different radii, treated with glazing wax using nanotechnology.
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The frame of the building is made of massive milled glued wooden frames.
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You will be next to her, go in, it's interesting))
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View of the Narinkkatori Square from above... part of the photo and pictures (C) internet.
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Kamppi Chapel of Silence (Finland) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
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Narinkkatori Square in the Kamppi district 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 the bus station, combined with a huge shopping complex, countless shops and cafes stretch along the perimeter. It is constantly crowded with people, and something noisy happens every day, up to snowmobile races on an artificial track. The only island of peace in this roar 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 slats treated with glazing wax. You can get inside through the entrances in the nearby glass pavilion.
The interior is trimmed with black alder, simple furniture is made of light ash, the only decoration of the hall is a silver crucifix on the pulpit. The light falls from a height of 11 m through a gap between the ceiling and the siennas.
The architects 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 penetrating 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 st. Kampin metroasema, trams No. 7, 7H, 9, 9H, bus No. 23N to the stop. Simonkatu
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 20:00, weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. The entrance is free.
