Kangasala Arts Centre is a symbol of sovereignty and cultural prowess for a small municipality, standing next to a long standing church and a new library in the heart of their village.
The centre was designed to house the chamber of the municipal council and their board of trustees; a multifunctional auditorium able to facilitate a variety of cultural performances, music and film; and a changing exhibitions art museum with permanent space dedicated to sculptor Kimmo Pyykkö.
The design challenge was to match the building atop an underground parking facility and had to include an indoor connection to the new library. The end result is a cluster of four glacial erratics with canyons and stairs in between connecting them to each other. In the cityscape the building stands out as sparsely perforated concrete boulders with iron oxide treated facades.