When we think of city furniture, saunas don't usually come to mind. This makes sense because saunas are often part of private businesses or public facilities that charge an entrance fee, making them not really part of truly public urban spaces.

However, there's an interesting exception to this rule — Sompasauna, a volunteer-run sauna project in Helsinki, Finland, a place, where communal saunas are an important part of the culture.

"Sompasauna is Helsinki's most public sauna - open 24/7/365, and run by everyone who uses it. Sompasauna is always free and open to everyone. This works because everyone helps out — keeping the area clean, sawing wood, fetching water, and maintaining the saunas.

There is no staff, but regulars are happy to help if you have questions or don't know how to pitch in. The sauna is run by the Sompasauna Association, and the area is rented from the City of Helsinki." (Source: Sompasauna Website)

The story of Sompasauna began in 2011 when a group of locals in Helsinki found an old wood-burning stove and turned it into something special. They built a simple "shack sauna" on an empty harbor lot and made sure anyone could use it. While the people who started it didn't visit much themselves, hundreds of sauna lovers found their way there in the first year. About twenty regular visitors became friends and spent the next few summers rebuilding and improving the sauna. They were clever with their resources – they built almost everything using materials they found or were given, spending only 150 euros each year. They only needed to buy a chimney and a saw. This simple approach helped them to learn what worked best, and the sauna got better each time they rebuilt it.

From the beginning, Sompasauna has adhered to its principles of being a public, mixed-gender sauna with open doors. It was created for the joy of those who happened upon it, evolving into an underground urban legend. Since 2013, the sauna has also been popular with new residents of Kalasatama.

Between 2011 and 2013, the City of Helsinki dismantled the unauthorized sauna multiple times. In response, Sompasaunaseura ry (the Sompasauna Association) was founded in autumn 2013 to oversee operations and promote public sauna culture.

Sompasauna became a public favourite in the Helsinki Cultural Acts voting from 2012 to 2014, winning a €5,000 grand prize in 2015. The funds were used to construct the current log-built "temple sauna“.

In 2021, the sauna had to move because of new building work in Sompasaari. They held their last sauna session at the old spot in Nihdi during Midsummer 2021, then moved to a new location in Verkkosaari. The community came together, and within a few weeks, volunteers had built everything again in the new spot. People quickly grew to love the new location, showing that what makes Sompasauna special isn't where it is, but how it brings people together. They know they might need to move again as the city grows, but that's just part of how Sompasauna works -–it changes with the city while keeping its friendly, open spirit.

Today, Sompasauna has three mixed-gender saunas and a swimming spot open year-round. It operates without staff, changing rooms, or showers. The space is simple: swimwear is optional, and no reservations or tickets are needed. Visitors should bring their own drinks and follow a few rules, including no grilling, open fires, or loud music (only acoustic music is allowed). There are lockers where visitors can use personal locks, and a portable toilet is available. To regulate the the rules of visiting a sauna there has been a guideline of "Peace of Sauna" created, which the visitors are advised to follow.

The sauna is legally run by The Sompasauna Association (Sompasaunaseura ry). With no staff on-site, visitors follow posted rules and help maintain the space by doing tasks like chopping wood and carrying water. The project operates on about €30,000 annually, which covers maintenance, waste management, sanitary facilities, and safety measures. This is mainly funded through donations and membership fees. The association accepts donations via MobilePay, PayPal, and bank transfers, and operates under a fundraising permit that allows them to collect up to €10,000 over three months. The heavy use of the saunas requires regular maintenance, with stoves needing to be replaced every few months and chimneys and stones needing more frequent updates.

The example of Sompasauna illustrates how a sauna, when placed in public space under the open sky, transforms into a new form of city furniture. It becomes an assemblage of distinct elements – sauna rooms, benches, stairs to the water, wardrobes, hangers, and gathering spaces – that together create a functional outdoor sauna. The project survives through a mix of volunteer work and financial support, showing the power of community-driven projects in creating and maintaining public urban spaces.

Sompasauna represents one of the most open and democratic approaches to sauna culture, quite obviously originating in Finland. This model holds potential for adaptation in other cities. For instance, Vienna's Donau Island, a popular public leisure area, would be an ideal location for such a project. A public, free sauna could enhance the island's pubic offering, providing an accessible space that promotes health, well-being, and community building.

Sources:

https://www.sompasauna.fi/

https://www.instagram.com/sompasauna/.