Kuokkala Church / Lassila Hirvilammi

© Jussi Tianen

Architects: Lassila Hirvilammi Architects
Location: Jyväskyla,
Chief Architect: Anssi Lassila
Interior Architect: Teemu Hirvilammi
On Site Architect: Jani Jansson
Client: Parish of Jyväskyla
Collaborators: Virve Väisänen, Juha Pakkala, Janne Kähkönen, Matias Topi, Yoshimasa Yamada
Project Area: 1,311 sqm
Project Year: 2008-2010
Photographs: Jussi Tianen

The wish of the Parish of Jyväskylä was to build “a church that looks like a church”. Our proposal was a simple, sculptural form within which all of the church’s different functions could be contained. The design is “of our time”, yet permeated with nods to and re-interpretations of church-building tradition.

© Jussi Tianen

The east-west oriented building stands centrally on Kuokkala Square, the focal point of Jyväskylä’s Kuokkala district. The church is roofed and clad in overlapping slate tiles, with and copper details around the entrances supplement the overall visual aspect. The church is flanked by a granite stairway and walls which, together with the bell tower on the square, usher visitors towards the main entrance.

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The church’s functions are located across three storeys, with the church offices opening directly onto the market square. On the main floor, the church hall and parish meeting hall can be combined to create a shared space onto which the floor’s children’s and youth facilities also adjoin. A gallery houses the organ and cantors’ office.

© Jussi Tianen

The church is predominantly wooden. The church ceiling is a combined glulam frame and wooden gridshell construction, which visually integrates the separate hall spaces. The gridshell was assembled and laminated together in-situ in three sections.

© Jussi Tianen

Locally sourced spruce has been used throughout the church, from its bearing structures to its interior surfaces and fixtures. The church hall furnishings are in ashwood and the altar furniture is limewood, a species used historically for the carving of wooden icons.

* Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
Cite: "Kuokkala Church / Lassila Hirvilammi" 12 Aug 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 25 May 2013. <http://www.archdaily.com/72755>

13 comments

  1. Thumb up Thumb down -4

    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

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  2. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    Wow. Amazingly beautiful. The relationship between the nave and the shell is really beguiling.

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  3. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    hmm…I could not find any plans to burn it down (maybe somebody in Finland can check on that) but in the meantime it looks like a rather handsome building.

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  5. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    I wasn’t expecting those lovely interiors when I first saw the external photographs. A really nice surprise from Lassila Hirvilamm!

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  8. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    This is really refreshing. The fact that they actually wanted this to look like a church is exciting and well executed here.

    Alot of clients in the U.S. request churches to look like, quote “an Office Building” or lodge or YMCA.

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  9. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    It’s nice to see architecture for the community that uses it, rather than for the ego of the architect who designed it.

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