Set upon the banks of Lake Saimaa in Finland, Pistohiekka has arrived to reinvigorate the Puumala region’s once-flourishing wellness and leisure landscape.
The resort comprises a sauna and restaurant spread across two square buildings clad with black-painted timber façades. Helsinki-based Studio Puisto spearheaded the design, which is distinguished by wood construction and central oculus-style voids at the core of each building. “The main inspiration for the project was the surrounding nature and the site’s extraordinary views to the Lake Saimaa,” Studio Puisto says. “We wanted to create a memorable experience and an element of surprise.”
Locally sourced materials diminish the project’s burden on the environment, while elements like shades and passive ventilation reduce dependency on air conditioning.
Glazing spans one side of the restaurant to bond its warm wooden interiors with the curved outdoor terrace and frame lakeside vistas. The restaurant terrace is also partially covered by roofing that extends outward, finished in a radial pattern of timber slats on its underside. The sauna facility is outfitted with a deeper, more narrow void that functions as a lightwell for its sheltered terrace.
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