Page 107 - AIT0523_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design OOPEAA, FI-Helsinki
Bauherr • Client Vantaa Parishes, FI-Vantaa
Standort • Location Asematie 12, FI-Vantaa
Nutzfläche • Floor space 3500 m 2
Fotos • Photos M. Goodwin, H. Rytky, T. Uusheimo
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 135

TIKKURILA CHURCH

IN VANTAA

Anssi Lassila’s love of Le Corbusier is palpable in the in-
terior of this sacred building near Helsinki: with the
church windows, the Finnish architect alludes to the ico-
nic Ronchamp Chapel. The required spatial programme,
however, differs enormously from this: Lassila’s building
includes a multifunctional complex with a community
centre and social housing in addition to the church.

T his is not the first church that has been designed by the Finn Anssi
Lassila. At the age of 26, at a time when he was still a student of ar-
chitecture, he already succeeded in winning the competition for the
construction of the new Kärsämäki Church in the province of Oulu. The
church was constructed, as were the sacred buildings he went on to de-
sign in Klaukkala, Espoo and Jyväskylä. Since 2014, Anssi Lassila has
led the studio OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture with headquar-
ters in Seinäjoki. As the name of the office suggests, he sees his field of
activity primarily in the periphery of Central Finland. His latest work is
an exception to this rule since it is located in the greater Helsinki area:
in Tikkurila, OOPEAA is responsible for a church together with an ad-
joining multifunctional complex. The completed perimeter block deve-
Grundriss • Floor plan lopment represents the first phase of an urban densification project and
includes a church, a café, meeting spaces for the congregation as well
as offices and an adjacent residential building with student- and social
housing. A generous number of communal spaces such as saunas, roof
terraces and meeting rooms are also included in the ensemble. Com-
mercial space with shops and restaurants is located on the ground floor
level. The church itself, with its jagged silhouette, forms the striking new
corner of the perimeter block development. Its multi-coloured clinker
façade of glazed bricks establishes a link to the historic identity of the
neighbourhood. This link and the durability of the material were deci-
sive for the architects in their choice. In the church’s interiors, they
opted in favour of a combination of in-situ concrete and local spruce
wood. The human scale was essential for the design of the Tikkurila
church, as Anssi Lassila deliberately states in his design description.
Around the entrances, this scale is made smaller and more moderate,
which makes the entrances look inviting and accessible. In the part
where the main hall of the church is located, the dimensions become
noticeably larger. Thus, the space stretches visually upwards, towards
the highest point and the softly penetrating light. A lightweight, spiritual
Längsschnitt • Longitudinal section and, at the same time, modest atmosphere is created.

AIT 5.2023 • 107