Sauna
Kit 0

INTERPRETATION OF
FINNISH SAUNA

Speaking of Sauna, Finland is always the first country that people can imagine which is even famous around the world. Here in Helsinki, we could still feel the living habits and atmosphere that influenced by sauna culture deeply. As the cradle land of sauna, Finland has derived many types of experience of sauna from the original one and somehow kept it till now which became the cultural heritage of Finland.

Under this background, combining with the topic, we visited an old sauna named ARLA located in urban Helsinki and had a nice period of experience there. It was an illustrious and longevous sauna built in last century. Because of its long history, ARLA remained lots of vestige from the longevity in terms of the tools using now, the crusted decoration or the stylised posters on the wall. From the unifying experience there, my idea starts to connect to the theme and requirements of our lecture which is leading us to do some timeless design. Referring other newly-built sauna in Helsinki, ARLA seems have more similarities and consilience that be able to reflect on something time-tested.

The final form I design is like a volcano with a umbrella-like flat above it installing in the middle. It can divide the air stream smoothly around the stove. My original idea is letting the sauna mingled with the atmosphere of the warm home, not the cold bathroom by giving the feelings and tactility of the furniture. So that I choose the special rubber which can stand on 500 degree temperature to panel on the outer layer of this stove.

Due to its softness, users can enjoy the sauna time even leaning on the stove.

You are close to the furnitures at your home, undoubtedly, so why cannot you be close to the sauna. This is why the users would have the direct interaction with the furniture but just pour ing water on the stones. Except this behaviour, there is no any interaction. It is not like some things existing in the bedroom that let you stay there for most part of one day, but it has vitally connection with the experience of relaxation, entertainment and communication with others. In this extent, to have a friendly interaction with the sauna tools is where the trend is and where the potential of stuff in bathroom is.



From these starting points above, combining with every talk that happened between my teacher Simo and me, I started to design a sauna stove that would be kind, elegant, mild and bland in matching with all the furnitures. It is from the furniture. It would be one part of home that you may be interested and eager to use every day. I want to hide the original stereotype of sauna stoves which is hot-temperature and to avoid touching. Maybe I am wrong, I think I like sauna in the different way with typical Finnish way. There is a long term period of history with Finnish sauna. I know that. Everyone knows that. But how about lots of people in other countries with other culture? I like sauna not because of any stories that did not happen, but because of the moisture with temperature that makes me relaxed and oppositely calmed down. It is quiet. From my point of view, that is the most important feature of sauna. I simplify it and just keep it. Only it. This is why I remove lots of other features that would probably affect your experience of this pure relaxation. I remove the hot exposed stones. I try to reduce the waiting time. This is why it looks like some modern stuff but stable, calmed and purified, not like the sauna stoves should look like, for example, smoke sauna. For me, it is the real beauty of sauna.