Avanto Architects bring Finland's love of saunas to Hong Kong this December
Hong Kong’s harbourfront is packed with soaring, silver skyscrapers. But from December 8–13, the buildings on the Tsim Sha Tsui side of the harbour will have an unusual new neighbour: Sauna Kolo, a small timber sauna.
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Designed by Avanto Architects, co-founded by Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen, Sauna Kolo is part of Hot Is Cool, an exhibition and festival exploring the differences between public space in Finland and in Hong Kong. In Finland, “the sauna is an elemental part of our culture,” Ville explains, adding that there are two million saunas in the country for a population of only five million people.
Hot Is Cool is the first event hosted by Culture For Tomorrow, a new organisation founded by Adrian Cheng that supports architects and designers around the world. Cheng, who has long been interested in Finnish design, organised the festival to coincide with the centenary of Finland's independence from Russia.