Lakeuden Risti Church

Alvar Aalto originally designed Lakeuden Risti in black. Aalto participated in the architectural competition for the Seinäjoki Parish Church and Parish Center in 1951 with his proposal Lakeuksien risti (“Cross of the Plains”). Instead of Aalto’s proposed black granite, the decision was made to left as brick and rendered white due to cost reasons.The church was built between 1958-60, and the parish center between 1964-66. The chapel of the church and the lower parts of the buildings retained the original black granite surface in the final form, so a completely black appearance was not entirely abandoned.