LAKE-FRONT SAUNA AND COMMUNITY HUB
Location Ähtäri, Finland Client / operator Hankaveden Laine Oy Architects Studio Puisto Architects Ltd. FI - 00170 Helsinki www.studiopuisto.fi Author Studio Puisto Photos Marc Goodwin, Archmospheres Riikka Kantinkoski Official opening July 2020 34
“SAUNARAVINTOLA KIULU“ SAUNA AND RESTAURANT IN ÄHTÄRI As its name suggests, Saunaravintola Kiulu is both a sauna and restaurant as well as the backdrop for all sorts of impromptu events within the city. Inside the restaurant, the dining experiences vary from formal to casual, while two saunas offer either a community-driven bathing experience or a more intimate one. All of these spaces are unified by a shared outdoor terrace, bringing the entire experience closer to not only the adjacent lake, but to the vastness of nature around it. Conceptually, Saunaravintola Kiulu aims to rethink the wellness experience through a holistic design approach, on the understanding that wellbeing is highly personal and therefore different for everyone. Whether it is through active, social pursuits or solitary, spiritual ones, Saunaravintola Kiulu’s architecture carefully defines different user paths
for the community as a whole to give everyone an equal opportunity to enjoy themselves according to their preferences. Activating the waterfront The city of Ähtäri required a masterplan concept for the area that would establish different sb 3/2022
