Designed by Alvar Aalto, Seinäjoki’s parish church was consecrated in 1960. In a design competition arranged for the church, the jury selected an entry called Lakeuksien risti (Cross of the Plains), drawn by Alvar Aalto and his assistants, as the winner.
In Aalto’s original design, the church façade was made of black, polished granite but in the end, only the lower part of the church building and the walls of the chapel are of black granite while the rest of the building has brick walls with white plastering. The handsome church hall seats 1,200, and the gallery where the pipe organ is located has seating for another 124 people. The interior design is also Aalto’s handiwork. The 65-metre campanile is a recognisable landmark, which can be seen from far away over the Ostrobothnian plains. The Cross of the Plains was a strong candidate for the central church of the diocese but in the end Lapua Church was selected as the region’s cathedral. Aalto’s church was the first building in Seinäjoki’s civic and cultural centre. Today, the entity designed by Alvar Aalto is known as Aalto Centre.
