Kallio Church

Kallio Church sits on a rise above the Helsinki working-class district of the same name and is one of the signature buildings of Finnish National Romanticism. It was built between 1908 and 1912 to designs by Lars Sonck, the leading Finnish Jugendstil architect. Its heavy grey granite facade, quarried at Tervalampi, was a deliberate move against the prevailing neoclassicism, meant to define a specifically Finnish sacred style. The free-standing bell tower carries a 28-bell carillon whose chorale tunes were written by Sibelius and Toivo Kuula. Inside, the rough stone gives way to white plaster walls and very clean acoustics, which is why concerts are held here regularly. The church remains an active parish and is the obvious orientation point in the now fashionable Kallio neighbourhood.