5.8.2020

Sauna at Pikkukoski

The sauna and club facilities and lifeguard control room and café curve around a monastic courtyard. The sheltered circle of external walls can be opened or closed with large turning doors. When closed, a private inner court remains in the middle and when open the terrace area extends to the summery beach.

The base floor of the building is a grid-like glued laminated timber lattice lifted onto steel piles. Framed constructions rise from the lattice, which are completed with large turning doors. The frame is strengthened with plywood boards and 312 mm x 42 mm wide glued laminated timber paneling has been used for the external covering.

The internal walls are made of planed spruce panels and the external surfaces fine cut. The eaves of the building and canopies are precision sanded LVL boards and the roof covering is machineseamed sheet metal.

The sauna has a vertical log structure with a wall made of old logs stacked in between. The floor and ceiling are made of planed spruce and the sauna benches are common alder. The sauna was constructed in the Wood studio’s workshop and assembled as parts into the completed building.

The sauna that was put up at the base of a steep cliff by the still waters of the Pikkukoski rapids is used by swimmers all year round.

Project in brief

Sauna at Pikkukoski

  • Location | Helsinki
  • Purpose | Sauna and clubroom, lifeguard room and café
  • Constructor/Client | Helsingin kaupunki, Liikuntavirasto
  • Architectural Design | TKK Puustudio Tatu Korhonen & työryhmä Daniela Grotenfelt, Mari Jaakonaho, Mika Koskela, Essi Käppi, Sini Meskanen, Santtu Rothsten and Kalevi Saarela
  • Structural design | Kareg Consulting
  • Pääurakoitsija | Pohjarakennusexpertit Oy
  • Wood component supplier | Finnforest/Metsäliiton puutuoteteollisuus, Puukeskus Oy
  • Photographs | Anne Kinnunen
  • Text | Tatu Korhonen