TAIDEKAPPELI
Taidekappeli, Turku, Finland
Taidekappeli is located on the island of Hirvensalo, far outside the city. Surrounded by spruces and pines, where the wooded hills rise from the flat fields. The chapel cleverly combines minimalism with expressionism, and the minimalist vocabulary can be felt in the materials used. The exterior, with the exception of the tall glass strip, the window created by the artist Hanno Kohola, consists only of copper shingles and the interior of the chapel is basically made entirely of wood.
In addition to wood and copper, the main building material is natural light, which brings the shapes and surfaces of the chapel to life and emphasises the characteristic knots of the wood.
The materials themselves also come to life thanks to exposure light. Untreated pine wood gradually acquires a reddish hue and the copper surface of the chapel has a green patina. While the imposing fish shape of the chapel seems compact, closed and relatively small on the outside, on the inside the impression changes radically. Here you will find an illuminated, slender space with curved walls composed of laminated pine beams forming a ribbed structure. A fish stomach. The sharp structural ribs refer to the biblical story of Jonah trapped in the belly of a fish. Likewise, the copper plates of the exterior indicate the structure of the fish scales. Fish symbolism, a shape used by the first Christians, serves to unite several different churches - Lutheran, Catholic and Orthodox. In addition to the symbolic form of the fish, another main idea of the chapel is a calm, quiet path from the darkness towards the light, where the light is embodied by illuminated altar.
Architect: Sanaksenaho Architects
Year of construction: 2005
Official name: Ecumenical Art Chapel of Saint Henry
THE ALTAR
TAIDEKAPPELI FROM THE OUTSIDE
Trapani is perched on the western tip of Sicily, and its climate is quintessentially Mediterranean, with average temperatures hovering around 20°C—a perfect respite all year round.