kamppi chapel of silence by K2S architects provides an oasis of calm

kamppi chapel of silence by K2S architects provides an oasis of calm all images courtesy K2S architects image © tuomas uusheimo

the ‘kamppi chapel of silence’ by finnish practice K2S architects will soon be blessed by the archbishop in helsinki, finland. positioned on the southern side of the bustling narinkka square, the curved wooden structure serves as a refuge from the lively urban district. defined by a windowless facade, the solid building blocks out the city sounds, allowing visitors to become composed within the calm atmosphere. the structural framework is comprised of CNC-cut glue-laminated elements and the cladding’s components are custom-made spruce wood planks which are seamlessly connected with horizontal finger joints.

chapel interior image © tuomas uusheimo

the building may be approached from all directions of the surrounding context but only accessed through a glaze entrance and concrete corridor, flexibly used as an exhibition space and gathering area. the passage abuts the chapel’s round room which is the only entity contained within the stand-alone volume. light streams down the perimeter wall from a void within the ceiling, illuminating the surface of the oiled alder planks. the warm interior is additionally furnished with seating of solid wood.

wall + ceiling detail image © tuomas uusheimo

upward view of ceiling image © tuomas uusheimo

detail of curved wall image © tuomas uusheimo

entry corridor image © tuomas uusheimo

wooden bench image © tuomas uusheimo

site plan

floor plan / level 0 1. foyer 2. office / reception 3. cloakroom 4. chapel 5. sacristy 6. dressing room 7. storage 8. technical space 9. toilet

section

section

elevation

elevation

wall details

project info:

project name: kamppi chapel location: simonkatu 7, helsinki, finland client: helsinki parish union and the city of helsinki completion: april-may 2012 total floor area: 352 m2 architects: k2s architects ltd, kimmo lintula, niko sirola and mikko summanen design team: jukka mäkinen (project architect), kristian forsberg, abel groenewolt, tetsujiro kyuma, mikko näveri, miguel pereira, outi pirhonen, teija tarvo, elina tenho, jarno vesa structural engineering: insinööritoimisto vahanen oy, matti kivinen, ulla harju hvac-designer: insinööritoimisto äyräväinen oy, pasi heiskanen electrical and automatization designer: insinööritoimisto nurmi oy, pekka larinoja acoustical design: insinööritoimisto akukon oy, henrik möller photography: tuomas uusheimo