Antti (Anders) Piimänen (1712,

Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

— 16 October 1775, Turku) was a notable 18th-century Finnish church designer and

master builder A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer). Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in ...

, considered the originator of the 'long church' (''pitkäkirkko'') style characteristic of much of the South West and Tavastia regions of Finland. Piimänen learned his trade before the formal

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

system was implemented in Turku, and was only granted his official master status relatively late, in 1759. Around the same time, he was the master-builder-in-charge of the

Turku Cathedral Turku Cathedral ( fi, Turun tuomiokirkko, sv, Åbo domkyrka) is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku and the seat ...

extension works. Noted for both his masonry and carpentry skills, Piimänen is especially known for his timber construction legacy, which has influenced many later church designers. Notable churches built by Piimänen include the Baroque-style , designated and protected by the

Finnish Heritage Agency 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 ...

as part of a nationally important built cultural environment (''Valtakunnallisesti merkittävä rakennettu kulttuuriympäristö''), as well as , and many others. He also built the bell tower of , adjacent to the church itself built by Piimänen's disciple, Matti Åkerblom.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piimänen, Antti 1712 births 1775 deaths People from Turku Finnish architects