Nordic Quarters

Category: Places

Finnish Studio Puisto has created Kyrö Sauna Bar, a temporary pop-up and project, which combines a whisky-focused cocktail bar with a traditional Finnish sauna in the heart of Finland’s capital

Helsinki-based practice Studio Puisto has created a pop-up for Kyrö Distillery’s tipples in the heart of the Finnish capital, inviting visitors to experience its products in a contemporary, wooden structure that combines a whisky-focused cocktail bar with a traditional sauna and outdoor terrace.

The prefab building, which is located in the city centre, was created with the help of ProtosDemos, who embraced material reuse and modular design principles for both the assembly and disassembly of the pop-up, allowing the structure to be reused in other settings. 

Inside the moody, minimalist space, there are three thematic areas. Upon entering, guests arrive in Kyrö’s Barns, a dimly lit, barn-like spot designed for private events and built from rough wooden planks. This area mirrors the intimate atmosphere of Ostrobothnia’s granaries, a region in western Finland where Kyrö Distillery was born in 2012. 

‘The flat plains of Ostrobothnia with their endless rye fields and traditional grain barns are a deeply familiar sight to every Finn,’ explains Studio Puisto of why Ostrobothnian heritage is an important element of the design itself. ‘We set out to recreate that feeling and atmosphere right in the heart of Helsinki.’

According to the architects, the use of raw materials and rough-textured wooden surfaces are meant to reference the feeling of being inside a traditional grain barn or a smoke sauna. ‘Our aim was to create a rich, multi-sensory experience throughout the space,’ Studio Puisto continues. 

‘For example, the wood chip floors in Kyrö’s barns offered a completely new kind of tactile element in a bar setting. As a byproduct of the extensive use of wood, the scent of freshly cut timber added yet another sensory layer to the experience.’

Recycled concrete blocks were used to build a bespoke bar in another area of the pop-up called Kyrö’s Yard, where guests can gather around a large bench made of planks to socialise or enjoy a drink.

‘The goal of the massive bench is to create a communal atmosphere where even the most introverted Finn might strike up a conversation with a stranger,’ notes architect Olli Keskinen.

The star of the pop-up is an 18 sq m communal sauna, which visitors reach by passing through a corridor called Barrel Warehouse. Here, Studio Puisto utilised old whisky barrels from the distillery and repurposed them as standing tables. 

Once inside the custom sauna, Studio Puisto incorporated low, narrow windows and continued the dark, rugged material palette found throughout the pop-up, including traditional wooden slate floors, to achieve a sense of privacy and a cocoon-like feeling.

Accommodating 14 bathers, with room for an additional dozen guests to cool off outside between sauna sessions, washing is done as Finns have for centuries by sauna-goers pouring water into a basin and using a ladle to wash themselves. At the end of the corridor, visitors can find the sauna’s changing rooms and restroom facilities.

‘We were able to momentarily introduce a different facet of Finnish architectural cultural history through the temporary structure, placing it in dialogue with iconic buildings designed by Eliel Saarinen and Viljo Revell,’ explains Studio Puisto of the value temporary architecture can hold. 

‘The project also offers a rare opportunity to experiment with spatial elements and materials that might be considered too bold or unconventional in a permanent structure.’

The Kyrö Sauna Bar pop-up is open until the end of 2025 on Wednesday through Saturday every week at Keskuskatu 6, Helsinki, Finland. For more information, visit kyrodistillery.fi

Photography by Unto Rautio