"Saunaravitola Kiulu" sauna und restaurant in Ähtäri

Lake-front sauna and community hub

published in sb magazine 3/2022

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.