There have been almost 200 years of tradition for public saunas in Helsinki. In 1907, there were 49 public saunas and spas in the city, but their popularity declined as people began to install bathing and sauna facilities in their own homes.

In recent decades, this old tradition has become increasingly popular and fashionable as a new cultural habit. Nowadays, there are around 10 public saunas in Helsinki, and this is one of the newest. 

This design project consists of the spatial design of the entire area and the sauna spaces. The main challenge of this project was to follow the old tradition of public saunas in the city and create a modest, relaxing sauna complex that welcomes everybody.

The café-restaurant features heated industrial concrete floors, graphite grey walls, and red tiles on the kitchen side. We removed the dropped ceiling, and the ceiling was painted black. The sauna area’s walls are covered with dark tiles, while the floor tiles are light yellowish-grey. The sauna bench is designed with a high structure to ensure both high-quality steam and sufficient air volume, even when many people are present.

The apartment block is designed by Sauerbruch Hutton Architects.