Lakeuden Risti Church (; lit. "Cross of the Plains Church") is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church located in

Seinäjoki Seinäjoki (; "Wall River"; , formerly ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Ostrobothnia. Seinäjoki is located in the western interior of the country and along the Seinäjoki (river), River Seinäjoki. The population of Sein ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. The church was designed by

Alvar Aalto Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (; 3 February 1898 – 11 May 1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, see ...

and built between 1957–1960. It was the first finished building of the larger administrative and civic center also planned by Aalto, consisting of Seinäjoki town hall, a library, a theater and a state office building.

Architecture

The cathedral-like building seats 1200 people in the hall and 124 in the organ gallery. In the ''

Gesamtkunstwerk A ''Gesamtkunstwerk'' (, 'total work of art', 'ideal work of art', 'universal artwork', 'synthesis of the arts', 'comprehensive artwork', or 'all-embracing art form') is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so. ...

'' spirit Aalto also designed silverware, antependiums,

altar cloth An altar cloth is used in the Christian liturgy to cover the altar. It serves as a sign of reverence as well as a decoration and a protection of the altar and the sacred vessels. In the orthodox churches it is covered by the antimension, which a ...

s and two stained glass paintings for the church. The cross-shaped bell tower from which the church gets its name is 65 meters high and a local landmark. A parish center by Aalto, consisting of white one-storey and two-storey buildings, was built next to the church in 1964–66. Aalto also planned the surrounding park. The Finnish Heritage Agency has listed the church as a nationally significant built heritage site as part of Aalto's administrative and civic center. Docomomo has also selected the center as a significant example of modern architecture in Finland. The church was protected in 2003 by a degree from the

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (; ) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheranism, Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Orthodox Church o ...

central administration.

Gallery

File:Lakeuden risti sisältä 6.jpg, Nave, facing altar File:Lakeuden risti architecture 20190410.jpg, Interior aspect File:Lakeuden risti altar 20190410.jpg, Altar File:006_Lakeuden_Risti_urkuparvi.JPG, Organ gallery File:Lakeuden risti 20180626.jpg, Exterior aspect File:Lakeuden risti tower 20180604.jpg, Bell tower

References

External links

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Seinäjoki Parish: Lakeuden Risti
{{Seinäjoki Cityscape Alvar Aalto buildings Alvar Aalto churches Churches completed in 1960 Modernist architecture in Finland Lutheran churches in Finland Seinäjoki 20th-century churches in Finland

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References

External links