Löyly is a public Finnish sauna situated on the shore of a bay, in a park not far from the centre of Helsinki. The park will eventually become part of a larger green space.
This places certain demands on the external appearance of the sauna building, and so the architects at Avanto designed the structure to resemble a rock face.
The project was designed by architects Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen of Avanto architecture studio. They chose to move away from conventional forms and integrate the building into the surrounding landscape, transforming it into an enormous rock. As their material they used specially treated pine, which is intended to darken over time and make the resemblance to natural rock all the more complete.
Inside the wooden cladding sits the building proper — rectangular in plan — which houses the saunas, a restaurant, changing rooms, showers and a lounge area. The outer shell, or 'cloak', serves purposes beyond the purely decorative: it improves thermal control and screens the interior from outside view. At the same time, the structure does not block light so much as filter it — gaps between the boards allow sunlight to pass through freely. Each plank of the wooden shell was individually cut by a computer-controlled machine.
A defining quality of Löyly is its aspiration to return to the origins of the Finnish sauna. Sauna culture remains an inseparable part of Finnish life — a place not only to wash, but to clear one's mind and restore one's spirit. Löyly features a sauna heated by the warmth that radiates from stones, and there is one that is heated 'black' — with smoke filling the room. The latter is the traditional Finnish type, but such saunas have become rare even in Finland itself.
The Finnish word 'löyly' means the steam that rises from heated stones
Incidentally, the word 'löyly' in Finnish means the steam that rises from heated stones. Finland has a tradition of using birch whisks, though this does not appear to be practised at Löyly itself. In summer, bathers can plunge directly into the bay by descending a short ladder into the water; in winter, an ice hole is cut for the purpose. The Finnish word for an ice hole is 'avanto' — the same name as the architecture practice that designed the sauna. All of this makes it clear that a genuine Finnish sauna is very much like the Russian banya.
With the aim of making Löyly a place to visit with friends, the sauna's management has moved away from the tradition of bathing in the nude and requires guests to wear swimwear. As a result, the saunas are not divided into men's and women's sections, and mixed groups can enjoy them together. Each sauna room accommodates up to 20 people. In the colder months, Löyly offers the option of hiring its spaces for private events, with capacity for between 100 and 150 guests.
The terrace extends out over the water, so you can hear the waves lapping directly beneath your feet
Both the architecture and the interior design of the sauna are of particular interest. On the bay side, the building opens onto a spacious terrace fitted with restaurant tables and sun loungers. The deck extends out over the water, so the sound of waves can be heard directly underfoot. On the roof there is a further relaxation area from which visitors can take in views of the city and the sea. All the interior spaces at Löyly are well lit and look out onto the bay.
The sauna's interior was designed by Joanna Laajisto. She succeeded in extending the philosophy embodied by the building itself: an abundance of light, space and air, combined with warmth, minimalism and understated elegance. The primary materials used throughout the interior are black concrete, birch, blackened steel and wool. The timber featured in the decor is specially treated birch wood — a by-product of plywood manufacture.
The restaurant chairs are upholstered in soft pastel tones and were produced by the Italian manufacturer Torre, while the lighting is by Michael Anastassiades. The fabrics used in the interior design are made from natural wool and sourced from Kvadrat. Since people tend to feel most at ease with their backs to a wall, it was decided to separate the bar counter from the main dining area with a low partition and to arrange tables along it. The bar stools featured in the interior were made by Gubi. In addition to the restaurant, Löyly offers a lounge area where guests can relax between sauna sessions or after them. It is furnished with a welcoming fireplace, around which chairs by Nikari and benches.
An added benefit of the Löyly sauna is the architects' commitment to creating an environmentally conscious space. Beyond the use of the birch salvaged from plywood production already mentioned, the exterior of the building is clad in timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This commitment to sustainability extends to the restaurant, which serves only fresh fish caught in accordance with the guidelines of the World Wildlife Fund. Organic produce is used wherever possible. The animals raised for meat are either free-range or wild game, including venison from northern Finland.
Photographers: Johannes Romppanen, Risto Törrö, Pekka Keranen
If you are looking for a more unusual setting in which to experience a Finnish sauna, you might want to explore a number of hotels located amid the snow or built from it entirely. And since we are on the subject of saunas, it is worth thinking about swimming pools and taking a look at the distinctive photographs of Maria Svarbova.
