Wallpaper Design Award: Puusauna by Jaakko Torvinen is Life-Enhancer of the Year 2026
Designed for a private client and built on Kaunissaari islandin the Finnish archipelago, the sauna combines traditional log construction techniques with modern design. Wallpaper particularly notes that the building uses whole, minimally treated tree trunks as load-bearing elements, making it unique both visually and structurally.
The award citation praises the sauna's life-enriching design: it is not just a sauna, but a place for relaxation, deepening one's relationship with nature, and experiencing architecture.
The sauna complex also includes a minimalist tea room with views of the sea, as well as carefully selected furniture and artwork that enhance the atmosphere and experience of the space.
Torvinen had previously explored the use of whole tree trunks in Pikku-Finlandia, a project designed in collaboration with Elli Wendelin and Havu Järvelä. In 2022, a modular building constructed in Helsinki served as a replacement for event venues during the renovation of Finlandia Hall. The modern renovation of Finlandia Hall won the Wallpaper Architecture Award in 2025.
The Wallpaper Design Awards are an annual international design and architecture awards presented by the British magazine Wallpaper.
The Life-Enhancer of the Year category focuses on useful and wellness-promoting design that makes everyday life better or richer. Puusauna was selected for this category because it represents well-being, closeness to nature, and creative use of materials.
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