Vantaa's new smoke saunas win Finlandia Prize for Architecture

The Kuusijärvi smoke saunas in Vantaa won the Finlandia Prize for Architecture, said the City of Vantaa in a press release on Monday.

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 saunas including two smoke saunas were completed in the summer of 2025, 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.

"The Kuusijärvi smoke saunas represent public construction at its finest. They show that beauty, sustainability and high technical quality can belong to everyone," said 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," said 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.

Architect 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.

Architect Julia Hertell and project architect Kaisa Riippi from Mer Architects were responsible for the project's building design.

The principal designer during the permit phase was architect Minna Lukander from Talli Architects.