On our recent tour of the Finnish Embassy we saw the traditional log sauna in the Embassy basement, which is used by employees. In Finland, there are 2.5 million saunas for 5 million people and saunas are everywhere– in homes, in corporate offices, even in Parliament. Saunas are a traditional family activity and an important cultural institution in Finland; a way to enjoy nature and community.
Shown here are photos of the wood sauna in the Embassy of Finland in Washington, DC, which was made through environmentally-friendly building (like the rest of the Embassy). Do you have a sauna at home? If not, would you want a sauna at home?
Related posts from Apartment Therapy and beyond:
• Sneak Peak: Inside DC Embassies and Ambassadorial Residences
• Finnish Saunas from wikipedia
• The Delights of the Sauna from Visit Finland
• The Embassy of Finland in Washington, DC
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Comments (7)
I was surprised to see every house I visited in Finland had these fancy sauna.. What a way treat yourself after a hard day's work...
Who wouldn't want to have a sauna at home?!
Here's an example of a wonderfully adorable Finnish sauna:
http://casadesabina.blogspot.com/2009/07/s-u-n.html
A lot of Finns have summer cottages (where saunas are a "must") around the numerous lakes and along the archipelagic coastline. A traditional sauna has a wood burning stove, but modern ones are electric.
The reason saunas are a must for summer cottages was made apparent to me one summer when running from a swarm of bird-sized bitting flies. The quickest way to kill them all was to tear off our clothes while running towards the house and proceed directly to the sauna. It certainly did the trick.
Also, I imagine having access to a sauna makes the long cold winters a little more pleasant.
And please don't get the wrong impression...Finland is awesome...it just has crazy big bugs and long cold winters. Aside from that, it rocks.
Yes.. I once lived in a 300 square foot apartment with a sauna in the bathroom. It was big enough for three people. I must say, though, that it felt like wasted space most of the time. My mother uses her sauna as storage. It is actually great for resale value to have one.
My studio apartment in Finland had a small sauna. I did not use it that much, but my parents use theirs every other night. It is something I miss now when I am lacking one.
Good thing I can visit any relative or friend back in Finland and use theirs!
I can't believe I missed this post, but absolutely! We have a wood burning sauna at home, and it's so nice to relax in after dinner. Or on those snowy winter nights, although it takes a bit for non-Finns to accept the idea of running arse naked to the snow in -22 C weather. :D