Otaniemi Chapel ( fi, Otaniemen kappeli, sv, Otnäs kapell) is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

located in the Otaniemi campus of

Aalto University Aalto University ( fi, Aalto-yliopisto; sv, Aalto-universitetet) is a public research university located in Espoo, Finland. It was established in 2010 as a merger of three major Finnish universities: the Helsinki University of Technology, the He ...

Espoo Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

History

The chapel was designed by the architect couple Heikki and

Kaija Siren Katri (Kaija) Anna-Maija Helena Siren (née Tuominen; October 23, 1920 in Kotka – January 15, 2001) was a Finnish architect. She graduated as an architect from the Helsinki University of Technology in 1948. Siren designed most of her works t ...

for a 1954 architectural competition, completed in 1956 and inaugurated in 1957. Located in the Student Village of the Otaniemi campus, the chapel was originally built by the student union of the

Helsinki University of Technology Helsinki University of Technology (TKK; fi, Teknillinen korkeakoulu; sv, Tekniska högskolan) was a technical university in Finland. It was located in Otaniemi, Espoo in the metropolitan area of Greater Helsinki. The university was founded in ...

. The students wanted something to remind them of "the wholeness of life and the values of human life" in the middle of their technical studies. The student union sold the chapel to Espoo parish in 1972. On 22 July 1976 the chapel burned down due to

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

but it was built again to its original form in 1978. The chapel has been gradually renovated in recent years: the technical systems of the building in 2008, the organ in 2009 and the

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

in 2011.

Architecture

The chapel is located on a small hill in the woods, surrounded by pine and birch trees. The main materials of the chapel are red brick and wood, tying the chapel together with other brick buildings in the campus area, including the main university buildings designed by

Alvar Aalto Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (; 3 February 1898 – 11 May 1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, see ...

. The building is entered from a walled courtyard that also has a bell tower. The chapel itself, past a clubroom, has two side walls made of bricks. The parallel walls "channel a progression from a secular to a spiritual view of nature": the altar wall made of glass, opening to the surrounding nature with a white cross standing among the trees. The presence of nature is almost

pantheistic Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ex ...

Functions

The chapel currently belongs to

Tapiola Tapiola (; sv, ) is a district of the municipality of Espoo on the south coast of Finland, and is one of the major urban centres of Espoo. It is located in the western part of Greater Helsinki. The name ''Tapiola'' is derived from '' Tapio'', w ...

parish and hosts baptismal ceremonies, weddings and funerals. It is also the gathering place for many associations, such as Christian student organizations and Bible study groups. The chapel has 150 seats and a 10-

stop Stop may refer to: Places * Stop, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the United States * Stop (Rogatica), a village in Rogatica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Facilities * Bus stop * Truck stop, a type of rest stop for truck d ...

organ by Kangasala organ factory.

Awards and recognition

In 2009 the chapel was awarded the International Carlo Scarpa Prize for Gardens. The jury called the building "masterly" simple and transparent, hailing the way nature, architecture and society come together at the site. The

National Board of Antiquities The Finnish Heritage Agency ( fi, Museovirasto, sv, Museiverket), previously known in English as the National Board of Antiquities, preserves Finland's material cultural heritage: collects, studies and distributes knowledge of it. The agency is a ...

has listed the chapel as a nationally significant built cultural heritage site as part of the Otaniemi campus and

Docomomo Docomomo International (sometimes written as DoCoMoMo or simply Docomomo) is a non-profit organization whose full title is: International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement. ...

has selected the building as a significant example of modern architecture in Finland.

References

External links