Kaleva Church

Kaleva is a modern church in the Liisankallio district featuring seventeen slender concrete ribs rising 35 meters high. Interior spaces are defined by floor-to-ceiling vertical windows that run throughout the structure.

Architects Reima and Raili Pietilä won a design competition in 1959, leading to construction between 1964 and 1966. The project responded to postwar efforts to discover new forms for sacred spaces.

Finnish pine wood shapes the interior, from altar and pews to chapel and sacristy spaces. This material choice connects the worship space to local craftsmanship traditions.

The church accommodates about 1,100 people with sloping floors toward the altar for clear sightlines from every seat. The layout makes access straightforward, and the building is generally easy to navigate during visits.

The exterior walls were built using slipform casting over twelve continuous days and nights without stopping. This uninterrupted pouring technique created a distinctive pattern visible on the concrete surface today.

Location: Tampere

Inception: 1966

Architects: Reima Pietilä, Raili Pietilä

Architectural style: modern architecture

Capacity: 1000

Elevation above the sea: 113 m

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Part of: Kalevan kirkko ja kaupunginosa

Phone: +358408048774

Website: http://tampereenseurakunnat.fi/kirkko_tampereella/kirkot_ja_muut_tilat/kirkot/kalevan_kirkko

GPS coordinates: 61.49914,23.79403

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:40