Studio Puisto has designed a lakeside wellness centre in the town of Ähtäri, Finland, incorporating a large area of stepped wooden seating and jetties that aim to reconnect the local community with the waterfront.
Saunaravintola Kiulu, which combines a sauna and a restaurant, grew out of a masterplan for year-round tourism that the Helsinki-based Studio Puisto had previously been invited by the town to produce.
Studio Puisto has designed a lakeside wellness centre
The design aims to strengthen the relationship to the waterfront while also providing multi-purpose community space to be used by both tourists and locals.
The wooden form steps down a rocky slope on the bank of the lake, with smaller steps at either end providing access to the jetties and water and oversized steps wide enough for small tables creating areas for informal gathering. It incorporates a large area of stepped wooden seating
The northeastern side of the centre is hugged by a cladding of black wooden boards that extend upwards to block views of the steps and bring more privacy to the space.
"The architecture not only avoids detracting from the wilderness around it, but also creates a sheltered, safe pocket for activity," the studio said.
The steps lead to the bank of the lake
The bright and airy restaurant at the centre of the building is contrasted by darker sauna spaces, all of which maintain a close visual relationship with the water.
"Every viewpoint from within the structure frames ...