Parish Building, Oulu Centre

Year

2013

Client

Oulu Evangelical Lutheran Parish Union

SCALE

5730 m² (gross)

WHAT wE DID

Principal design, Architectural design, Interior design

The central parish building is located in a block in Oulu city centre, between two buildings designated for protection in the town plan. The building houses the parish hall for the Oulu Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral congregation and office spaces for the administration.

One challenge with this project was to accommodate a relatively large amount of building rights in a prestigious location in a central block. The tallest section of the building is located along the street at the same height as the lower eaves of the adjacent building. The new building was kept separate from the old vicarage, leaving a small entrance square along the street.

The interior design aimed to create a pleasant environment for the people working in and visiting the building. Most of the workspaces are open multifunctional rooms. The parish hall and assembly rooms, which are two storeys high, form the heart of the building.