Muurame Church

About

Muurame church, located in Muurame, central Finland, was designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, and completed in 1929.

It was the first Aalto-designed church, and the only one of his many church designs in the 1920s, to be built, and represents his transition from Nordic Classicism to the Functionalist style he is mostly known for. As a transitional work, the Muurame church has been undervalued among Aalto's designs by many critics, and even the architect himself called it his 'aberration of youth' ( nuoruudensynti ).

The church's elongated- nave, single-aisle design and campanile (belfry) were influenced by Aalto's honeymoon trip to Italy a few years earlier, and the churches he saw there.

The church was comprehensively restored in 2016 to its original design. Most notably, the interior colour scheme was changed from its pre-renovation white and light wood — often associated with Aalto's minimalist style — to the original, more colourful one, consisting of bright blue and red ceiling and dark grey fixtures. The rose garden in the courtyard was also restored.

Muurame church interior before (left, viewed towards the chancel ) and after (right, viewed towards the entrance, with the organ above) the 2016 renovation which restored the original colour scheme. Preview warning: Page using Template:Multiple image with unknown parameter "1 Interior of Muurame Churc..." - Preview warning: Page using Template:Multiple image with unknown parameter "2: Interior of Muurame Chur..."