After treatment with WOODEX® AQUA CLASSIC Wood stain, the Kamppi Chapel shines amid the urban bustle
One of the most prominent landmarks in the center of Helsinki, the Kamppi Chapel underwent a translucent treatment on its exterior cladding in the summer. The right structural solutions, high-quality timber and Teknos' high-quality products of the site, which was completed almost 10 years ago, have proven that the translucent wooden surface will remain beautiful and will last for years to come, despite the changing weather conditions.
The Kamppi Chapel was first unveiled to the public on February 1st, 2012 and immediately received positive attention. The site has been designed by architects Mikko Summanen, Niko Sirola and Kimmo Lintula from K2S Architects in Helsinki. K2S was selected as designer for the chapel through an architectural competition.
In 2012, the chapel was one of the projects of Helsinki's Helsinki Capital of Design year, and it has gained a lot of visibility both in Finland and abroad. Built entirely of wood, the chapel is a unique place of silence and a meeting point in the middle of the city.
Monumental yet intimate
"The Helsinki Parish Association and the City of Helsinki had decided together that a non-commercial yet important service could be planned for the empty area of Narinkkatori. This brought about the idea of a wooden chapel, which would be at the same time a church hall, a tourist attraction and a structure promoting wooden church construction. At the same time, it would bring the parish and social services closer to the citizens," explains Sari Sahlberg, project manager at the Parish Association's real estate department.
The chapel is 11.5 meters high, and three different types of wood have been used to build it. The exterior cladding of the chapel is made of spruce and was originally coated with Teknos' customized surface treatment system. The interior walls are made of alder planks milled into shape, while the furniture and the interior door are ash.
Ideal structural solutions
The round and slightly funnel-shaped design has been to the advantage of the chapel. The wooden cladding on the outside is made of horizontal spruce boards – a solution referred to as weatherboarding, where the slats partially overlap.
"The structure of the exterior cladding has withstood all kinds of weather conditions extremely well, as each slat layer acts like fascia boards for the lower slat layer. The surface of the slats is slightly roughened, so the surface treatment agent has adhered to it very well," says architect Mikko Summanen.
Perfect colour from Teknos
"The job went smoothly and on schedule in all respects. The end result is also what we were looking for," says Summanen with a smile. "The colour of the exterior cladding had been defined quite precisely. Fortunately, we received several parallel colour models from Teknos for our selection. Now that the cladding has been repainted, the colour is slightly less orange than the original," adds Summanen.
The reopened chapel is expected to receive a large number of visitors and its services will remain unchanged. There is an opportunity for an almost complete silence in the chapel hall, while on the lobby side it is possible to meet and discuss with the employees of the parish and the Social Services and Health Care Division.
The Kamppi Chapel is open to everyone now and in the future. The chapel is worth a visit already because it is a modern masterpiece of prestigious Finnish wooden church construction.
The chapel has two entrances facing Narinkkatori on the east and west sides
The refurbished exterior cladding has been treated with WOODEX® AQUA BASE PLUS Wood preservative primer and WOODEX® AQUA CLASSIC Wood stain.