Kärsämäki Church was completed by OOPEAA in 2004 with handicraft methods and traditional materials creating a contemporary and at the same time timeless building.

The municipality of Kärsämäki designed a competition to rebuild the original church which once stood and was demolished in 1841. There were no documents to recall the building’s original appearance. The brief required to construct a modern church with traditional 18th century building techniques. The building is a work of craftsmanship. The main sacral space was built using piled logs. The black tarred shingle skin was offset creating a space around for circulation and for the vestibules, vestry, and storeroom. This darker perimeter nicely contrasts with the central open space naturally lit by a lantern skylight. The handcrafted wooden elements are elaborate and diverse. Apparently this was attained through many discussions between the builders and designers. I like how they thought about flexibility and suggested ways of how the seating could be organised.