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Architects: Studio Puisto
- Area: 715 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Marc Goodwin
Text description provided by the architects. Pistohiekka sauna-restaurant is the first step towards rebuilding the Pistohiekka resort area which flourished until the 1980s but has since disappeared. The project brings long-awaited services back to the area in the form of a lakeside sauna and a restaurant. Pistohiekka sauna-restaurant is one of the key development sites in Studio Puisto’s design for developing tourism and wood construction in Pistohiekka. The concept boasts a strong design aesthetic based on a central, curved outdoor space with the restaurant and sauna spaces spiraling around it.
The buildings are situated on a lakeside lot amongst existing trees where they blend into the delicate Saimaa scenery with their dark exteriors, contrasted by the inviting and warm light wooden interiors. In the sauna- the restaurant itself, the lakeside sceneries and terraced outdoor leisure areas play an important part. The guests can enjoy summertime sunsets between high-quality restaurant meals and leisurely lounging in the sauna.
The starting point for the Pistohiekka sauna restaurant was the magnificent location, situated between rocky areas in a tranquil cove. The set of buildings designed along with the overall development design for the area was refined together with the project owner into a unique overall concept highlighting the particular aspects of the area and making the resort a place worth visiting even from further away. With the different features of the area carefully considered in the placement of the buildings, the result is a concept where two buildings seem to invite the surrounding scenery in, creating exteriors and interiors where you can always admire the beautiful Saimaa scenery regardless of the weather.
The curved inner courtyard of the restaurant creates viewpoints both in and out of the building, and the covered sauna exteriors with a unique, round opening in the roof create a thematic link between the buildings. Thanks to a team of top professionals, the process from design to construction and all the way to the finished result went smoothly and quickly. The original concept truly shines in the end result thanks to the determination of the project owners and the skill level of the contractors.
