The Church of the Rock is one of Helsinki's most visited sights. Every day it attracts up to fifty thousand visitors regardless of their denomination.
The Rock Church is located on Temple Hill, about one kilometre from Helsinki's main railway station. It is within walking distance of the Finnish National Museum, as well as the Helsinki Art Museum. The Hietaniemi Cemetery, another attraction of the Finnish capital, is also nearby. The Rock Church is therefore a good stop on an exploration tour of Helsinki. But even those who are short on time and need to choose which sights to visit should consider the architectural landmark.
Combination of architecture and nature
The rock church belongs to the cave churches. This type of church appeared as early as the Middle Ages, although the Rock Church itself was not built until the late 1960s to a design by brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen.
The design of the two architects was already the third attempt to build a church on the Temple Mount and had to be scaled down again for cost reasons. As a result, the church is now smaller than originally planned. Nevertheless, it is known as a worthwhile example of expressionist architecture.
The church was blasted into the granite rock that is typical of Helsinki. To this day, the rock is unworked and gives an impression of untouched nature. The building is rounded off by a copper roof with 180 windows and an altar that is also covered in copper. Together with the gold-coloured organ, these give the rock church a special glamour.
Apart from these metal elements, the church has no decoration: one looks in vain for the statues or paintings that are otherwise typical for churches. Even the baptismal font is made of simple granite.
In addition to the building itself, the Suomalainen brothers also designed the pews, which take up about half of the interior of the church. They are made of birch wood, painted dark blue and upholstered in purple. The pews can seat up to 750 people, and not just for church services.
A special atmosphere in the Felsenkirche
The Felsenkirche is often used for events. Concerts in particular are popular here, as the church has particularly good acoustics due to the rock walls. These were not even part of the original design of the Suomalainen brothers and were only integrated into it later.
A recurring guest at the rock church is the pianist and composer Sid Hille. In addition to his concerts, he has been giving improvised live performances once a week since 2001, inspired by the atmosphere of the Felsenkirche, but also by church hymns. Often the artist plays solo. But he also performs with other Finnish artists like Jussi Kannaste or Panu Savolainen. On other days, recordings of Sid Hilles performances are played in the church.
As the Rock Church, unlike most other churches, has no bells, their ringing is also played over the loudspeakers in a composition by Taneli Kuusisto. Despite the music, the Felsenkirche is intended as a place of silence. So those who are looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and want to come to rest will also find what they are looking for here.
