Vantaa's new smoke saunas at Kuusijärvi won the Finlandia Prize for Architecture
The winner was chosen by researcher of European philosophy Timo Miettinen from among four candidates nominated by the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA. The public smoke saunas at Kuusijärvi are an important place to the people of Vantaa, with architecture that blends seamlessly with the surrounding nature.
Accessible smoke sauna Havu. Photo: Kalle Kouhia.
The public saunas were completed in the summer of 2025, and they include two smoke saunas, changing and shower rooms, and an information building. The smoke saunas were designed by Mer Arkkitehdit and Talli Architects. The saunas were commissioned and constructed by the City of Vantaa. This is the first Finlandia Prize for Architecture to be awarded to Vantaa.
Recognition for beloved saunas
“The Kuusijärvi smoke saunas represent public construction at its finest. They show that beauty, sustainability and high technical quality can belong to everyone,” says Timo Miettinen.
“Kuusijärvi is a unique place, and we wanted the architecture of the new smoke saunas to strengthen the visitors’ experience. The saunas are open to everyone, and they have been very popular, with visitors coming from near and far. The Finlandia Prize for Architecture confirms that we succeeded in creating something great," says Pekka Timonen, Mayor of Vantaa.
The Kuusijärvi outdoor recreation area receives more than 500,000 visitors per year, including more than 150,000 visitors to the smoke and electric saunas per year.
The Kuusijärvi saunas are the only public smoke saunas in Finland that are open every day of the year.
Architect SAFA Jenni Hölttä from Talli Architects, who was responsible for the project's principal and building design, praises the City of Vantaa for their bold attitude.
“The client wanted to build something unique and of high quality. This gave us designers the opportunity to study the smoke sauna tradition with an open mind,” says Hölttä. “I hope that the saunas can serve people's shared moments and their connection to nature. I also hope that we have managed to strengthen the spirit of Kuusijärvi and added a new layer to it.”
Architect SAFA Julia Hertell and project architect SAFA Kaisa Riippi from Mer Arkkitehdit were responsible for the project’s building design. The principal designer during the permit phase was architect SAFA Minna Lukander from Talli Architects.
The long-term development of Kuusijärvi continues
The Finlandia Prize for Architecture is also an acknowledgment of the long-term development of Kuusijärvi. Kuusijärvi has been a beloved swimming and sauna place for decades. The City of Vantaa has been developing the area systematically over the past few years. In addition to the new smoke saunas, an accessible campfire place and a new parking lot, among other things, have been built in the area. An accessible swimming place is planned to be added next. One of the new smoke saunas as well as the changing and shower room building are accessible.
The compatibility between nature and the built environment has also been taken into account during development. The saunas blend into the forested landscape, and all of the buildings have green roofs.
The Kuusijärvi smoke saunas are Vantaa’s second candidate for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture. The Vaaralanpuisto daycare center was nominated in 2019.
