New Löylykontit in Helsinki
The people have spoken. They wanted steam.
The people have spoken. They wanted steam. And cold water.
Last year, Helsinki held a competitive tender for seaside sauna locations. We won four. Eira. Jätkäsaari. Tapaninvainio beach. Palettilampi.
All of them have views. All of them will have winter swimming access. And all of them will be better than anything we've built before.
Or at least roughly the same level.
This is the part we know for certain.
The part we don't know (or can't promise yet)
When? What will they look like exactly? How many saunas? What color bench towels?
We don't know yet. The building permit process is underway, and until it's complete, we can't promise details. This is how construction works. First paper, then steam.
Finns have been building saunas for a few thousand years. The permit process takes slightly longer now than it did back then.
You bring your own bench towels, so you can start searching for the perfect one already!
Where are we right now?
Eira & Jätkäsaari
These two were born from the OmaStadi vote. Helsinki residents proposed and voted for winter swimming piers in their own neighborhoods. The city is building the piers and electrical connections with participatory budgeting funds (estimated completion by the city: 07/2026). We'll build and bring the saunas and changing rooms once the foundation is ready.
Earliest: second half of 2026.
Tapaninvainio beach & Palettilampi
For these locations, we're handling the construction of winter swimming access, infrastructure, and buildings ourselves. Exact locations are being negotiated with the city, and construction will begin immediately once permits are in place.
Earliest: second half of 2026.
What now?
We've adapted an old piece of wisdom for ourselves:
Grant us the serenity to use the saunas that exist. Grant us the patience to wait for the ones that don't yet. And grant us the wisdom to know the difference.
We have six operating saunas. Meri and Suvi in Sörnäinen haven't gone anywhere. The steam is still hot. The water is still cold.
The new ones will come when they come. Until then: welcome to the ones that already exist.
What is OmaStadi?
OmaStadi is the City of Helsinki's participatory budgeting program: residents propose improvements for their own neighborhoods, and the most popular ones get funded and implemented by the city. The Eira and Jätkäsaari winter swimming piers are being built through this process. Citizens literally voted for a happier life.
More information: omastadi.hel.fi