Sauna is an important place for Finns: not just a place for washing, but an opportunity for relaxation and personal reflection. Built of massive wood, this space provides a setting for almost ritualistic sauna bathing and highlights its various stages: undressing, enjoying the heat, washing and cooling off.

Kyly is an old Karelian word and means sauna or bathing. Kyly sauna is built by simply laying massive logs over each other on a plot five by six meters resulting in an intimate composition of several spaces. Using a massive structure binds a lot of carbon dioxide. Moreover the structure is easy to dismantle and to put up again for future use. Kyly is a modern interpretation of a traditional log sauna.

The sequence of spaces starts by stepping two steps away from the surroundings and entering an enclosed dressing room. A shower space is set one step further. The most intimate space is uppermost - the sauna. There is also a furo bath and an area for a fire. A rich composition of spaces is created with very simple means. The smell, texture and acoustic properties of massive wood create a strong atmosphere - a calm wooden nest.

type: Kyly - sauna concept

size: 30m2

built: Expo Sauna Kyly, Finnish pavilion, Shanghai EXPO 2010
Sauna Kyly, Billnäs ironworks, Raasepori, Finland
Habitare 2009, Helsinki Furniture Fair, Finland