The long narrow site allocated to Myyrmäki church lies below the Myyrmäki station and railway embankment, in a subordinate position. It was the only viable park reserve in the middle of the Louhela suburb of Vantaa.

The building and traffic arrangements are concentrated into a long and narrow complex right next to the railway embankment.

The church and parish centre building was designed by Juha Leiviskä. He was assisted by Pekka Kivisalo, Pirkko Söderman (interior) and Kristiina Nyrhinen (textiles).

The complex is made up of a wall that rises gradually southwards towards the main church and belfry; this challenges the dominance of the railway station and also enters into a dialogue with it and the surroundings. The main rooms open onto the park.

This rather simple basic plan is the ’architecture’ of the building. The room arrangements and the detail are based on it. All possible daylight is exploited. The rooms look different all the time at various seasons and times of day, and in sun and cloud, typical for Juha Leiviskä’s architecture.

The aim was to produce a shimmering, constantly changing veil of light and dynamic interaction between large and small, low and high, light and shade. For instance, the design is considered excellent acoustically. Another benefit is that whether one sits, one is almost always near the altar.

Source: Finnish Architectural Review 8/1985