Glass Roof Caps Pälkäne’s Medieval Ruin, Preserving View of the Sky

The medieval Pyhän Mikaelin kirkko in Pälkäne has been fitted with a glass roof, ending more than 130 years without a cover, YLE reports. The broadcaster visited the renovated site ahead of a planned opening next spring.

The church’s roof collapsed in a storm in December 1890. Local preservationists chose glass so visitors can still see the stars and moon, Carita Lindholm, chair of the protection association and the project’s lead designer and site manager, said. "We still have the sky as our roof," she added.

Work included a slate floor, new pews and an illuminated log cross at the altar. The space’s clear acoustics make it suitable for services and intimate events such as weddings, and Juhani Järvinen of the parish council expects the covered ruin will be usable far more often. The protection association, founded in 2002 to protect the ruins by covering the walls, kept the project to about €660,000. Extensive volunteer work and cooperation with funders, authorities and builders helped hold costs down.