(yes I know my posts are all out of order, I’ve fallen behind)
In the middle of Helsinki there’s a small chapel, very Nordic, very warm and wooden and above all else very quiet.
The idea is you come in and sit, the room is designed for silence, and try to be as quiet as possible.
When I came in there were three or four other people sitting in silence. I took a seat near the back and tried to focus on my noise.
I stayed longer than I had expected, eventually everyone else in the room were people who had come in after me and it felt like “my” space.
Most people seemed to come in for just a few minutes, perhaps on a break from work. A couple times the room achieved total silence and it felt like I could understand why it was built. It was rare and kind of great to sit in utter silence with strangers.
A Bit Gone 