Dovetail log cabins are a true classic, bringing rustic style and beautiful craftsmanship together with stunning results. Often used with hand-hewn square logs, this corner style is rarely seen outside historic structures and residential construction – so it’s refreshing to find it not only in a commercial application, but set against an industrial backdrop.
Designed by Studio Puisto as an extension of the Dream Hotel across the street, this striking structure is actually a sauna envisioned as a “communal living room” for the community in Tampere, Finland. Set within an old industrial red brick neighborhood, the 540-square-foot facility takes over a former customs checkpoint turned warehouse building full of hard, cold concrete and glass.
In keeping with the building’s history and raw materials, Studio Puisto maintained a minimalist design with pale gray cabinetry, concrete floors, exposed ductwork and clean-lined furniture. But all of these elements could have had an unwelcoming vibe if not for the addition of so much pine.
Naturally, the stacked log sauna in the center of the room is the main attraction. It’s made of pine from top to bottom, including the benches inside. But pine is also seen in the knotty built-ins of the locker rooms, the long dining tables in the cafe, the slatted screens providing filtered daylight and privacy and the modern chairs and tables strewn throughout the space.
“The resulting architecture embodies a sense of nostalgia, carrying out a lively, complementary dialogue between the two,” say the architects. “The resulting ambiance is a calm, peaceful one that creates a resounding appetite for sauna from the moment one steps inside.”
Design: Studio PuistoPhotography by Riikka Kantinkoski
