In the past ten years only around ten new churches, a few chapels and one parish centre have been built in Finland. "The number of parish households is going down, therefore no new churches are needed", says Chief Architect Antti Pihkala from Finland's dominant Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The Chapel of St. Lawrence in Vantaa and the famous Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki are both results of architectural competitions. The competition system has brought around a hundred church buildings to Finland.
"The aim of the competitions has been to find the best possible building solutions and the most impressive results of the time", explains Pihkala. Architecture can also help the church build its image and raise its visibility during difficult times. "I think it is great that the church has invested in architecture and gained visibility that way. The church is not a barracks in city space, it is an ennobling and a wonderful thing", says Ville Hara from Avanto Architects — the people behind the new Chapel of St. Lawrence.