Chapel of St. Lawrence | Avanto Architects.

My oh my… How beautiful is this building? I never thought I’d be blogging about a chapel here on yellowtrace, but turns out I was wrong. This building is a fine specimen of architecture & interiors in my humble little opinion. I am in love with so many things about this space. Simplicity of form, refined detailing, use of materials – charcoal slate flooring, lightly plastered and whitewashed masonry walls, patinated copper ceiling, limed oak joinery and refined black metal detailing used for door and window framing, stair handrail, lighting suspension etc. Sharp, slick, sophisticated and timeless… Not too much, not too little… Just like a beautifully tailored gentleman’s suit.

Designed by Avanto Architects from Finland and completed three months ago (August 2010), this impressive Chapel of St. Lawrence was the winner of an open architectural competition back in 2003. The site is situated in an important and ancient historical setting in Vantaa, a city north of Helsinki.

The chapel links disparate elements in the surroundings without appearing as a distinct building mass, leaving the old medieval stone church and bellcote to dominate the village milieu. The massing and materials are in response to existing surroundings, with use of rendered brickwork, natural stone, patinated copper sheet and mesh.

Giving peace and dignity to the funeral ceremony has been of primary importance in the planning of the building, and movement from one room to another is highlighted with a change of lighting and spatial characteristics. The theme of the proposal, ”polku” or ”path”, portrays man’s journey from mortality to eternity; courtyards function as passages to further ceremonial stages, a wall turns the onlookers gaze towards the light, a space gives reassurance to mourners. The path turns toward the unknown, but goes on.

Photography by Tuomas Uusheimo and Kuvio.

[Images via Avanto Architects. Decovered via Daily Tonic.]