Kuusijärvi Smoke Saunas

The smoke saunas and changing rooms completed at Lake Kuusijärvi in Vantaa in 2025 complement the area’s sauna architecture heritage while blending sensitively into their setting. Complete with dark-hued, timber-clad facades and living, hipped roofs, they are virtually hidden in plain sight.

The well-designed sauna experience drew particular praise from the pre-selection jury. In order to access the saunas from the changing and shower rooms, bathers need to first step outside, intertwining the outdoors into the experience as a whole.

Located in Vantaa, Lake Kuusijärvi is a significant destination for outdoor recreation and an important gateway to the Sipoonkorpi National Park. Thoughtfully finished with reverence to the existing environment, the new smoke saunas at Kuusijärvi are a subtle addition to the long sauna-building tradition in the area. They were commissioned to meet the increasing demand for year-round sauna services as well as the need for new traditional smoke saunas and accessible dressing and shower facilities at Kuusijärvi.

The design brief centred around the premise of sustainability, beauty and high quality. The buildings are situated on a slope by the edge of the woods, thus preserving the tranquil character of the landscape.

The dark, timber-clad exteriors and hipped green roofs blend almost seamlessly with the surrounding nature. The architecture does not seek to dominate the view but rather settles in and becomes part of it, delicately and effortlessly.

A particularly praiseworthy element of the ensemble is the carefully considered user experience: the saunas are accessed from the dressing and shower rooms through an outdoor space, integrating nature as an essential part of the sauna ritual. The pathways, views and cooling-off areas form a balanced and experiential whole where utility and atmosphere support one another.

The sparse fenestration in the saunas creates a dark and moody interior with a powerful yet calm ambience.

The careful use of materials, a mastery of scale and an air of timelessness make these buildings an exceptionally accomplished example of new Finnish sauna construction in which architecture, landscape and the user experience merge in a highly impactful manner.