A hotspot in the city centre – Kyrö Distillery opens a pop-up sauna bar in Citycenter
Launched in Citycenter, the pop-up sauna bar offers high-quality whisky and sauna experiences to visitors to the centre of Helsinki. The project drew inspiration from the mission shared by Kyrö and the property owner Sponda – the desire to bring people together in an innovative way and bring new life to the city centre.
The story of Kyrö Distillery Company goes back to 2012, when five friends got an idea for a rye distillery while relaxing in a sauna. Now, 12 years later, the company, which has risen to world fame with its high-quality whiskies, has opened a pop-up sauna bar in the heart of Helsinki.
“The idea for our business came to us in a sauna. Also, we wanted to bring a meeting place to the centre of Helsinki to make it possible to disconnect from everyday life and to offer a place for relaxing encounters that break down barriers,” says Mikko Koskinen, the Marketing Director of Kyrö Distillery Company.
The concept focused on communality also supports the property owner’s mission. Sponda has become an advocate for presence, and believes that projects such as this will prove an added draw for the centre.
“We are excited to be part of this project. Concepts such as this that encourage creative presence enrich the interaction between people and help both companies and the centre to develop and renew,” says Simo Parviainen, Sponda’s Head of Brand & Marketing.
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Multi-sensory spaces
Launched in a prime location in the heart of Helsinki, the pop-up sauna bar houses a bar, which seats about 100 customers, and sauna facilities, which will be built in Citycenter’s courtyard. The bar is already open and the sauna will be completed by the end of October.
The feature that all the spaces share is their multisensory nature – high-quality drinks and relaxing sauna experiences can be enjoyed in an atmospheric distillery milieu that is a treat to all senses.
Sauna is the place where people are more present than anywhere else.
“We want to bring the authenticity and experience that our Iso Kyrö distillery offers to the centre of Helsinki. In addition to bar and sauna operations, whisky tastings, cocktail courses and events where you can bind your own birch whisk for sauna will also be organised for customers,” says Koskinen.
According to Koskinen, the best thing about the facilities housed in Citycenter is their location.
“We get to introduce visitors and tourists to the Finnish sauna culture as soon as they arrive at the railway station. Citycenter also offers outstanding transport connections. It is important to us that you do not have to drive to get here as we can be easily reached by public transport from any direction round the clock.”
Koskinen is also full of praise for the quality and adaptability of the facilities. Impressive reception and bar facilities were easy to build on the newly renovated premises.
“From the outset, Kyrö has invested in high-quality products and an international atmosphere. We appreciate it that we have been able work with Sponda to build the sauna bar into a high-quality experience through its facilities and functions,” says Koskinen.
Community-oriented sustainable development
One of the factors that unites and inspires Kyrö and Sponda is sustainability.
“Values, vision and mission are only relevant when they genuinely guide the company’s operations. In our collaboration with Sponda, this has been realised at all stages and our collaboration has been really inspiring,” explains Koskinen.
Citycenter’s sustainability is attested to by its BREEAM Excellent level certification, which guarantees tenants energy-efficient premises, 100% renewable energy and excellent recycling opportunities.
For Kyrö, it was important that the pop-up spaces were also designed in a sustainable manner. Recycled materials were used in the furnishing of the sauna bar whenever possible. The timber was acquired from Fiskars’ old biennale exhibition and the furniture from other pop-up and exhibition spaces.
According to Koskinen, the plan is to keep the sauna bar open until the turn of the year, after which the operations will be reviewed and further developed. Here, too, the power of community is relied upon.
“We look forward to hearing from our customers. As I said, the best ideas usually come from customers and are most often born in the sauna,” says Koskinen, laughing.
Kyrö’s pop-up Sauna bar
- Open on an experimental basis until the end of the year on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 11 pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from 4 pm to 12 midnight.
- Bar with space for about 100 customers and 2 rooms for 17 people available by reservation.
- Time slots for the unisex sauna, which can accommodate about 12 people, must be booked in advance.
- The facilities can be booked outside the opening hours for corporate and private events: saunabar@kyrodistillery.com.
- An inspiring experience for locals and visitors alike; all the equipment needed for bathing in the sauna is available onsite.
- Events such as whisky tastings and cocktail courses are held on the premises by qualified instructors.
- A comprehensive list of Kyrö whiskies, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages and savoury snacks are available.
- The bar is planning to serve its own theme cocktail that promotes presence by encouraging you to flip your phone and focus on leisurely encounters and a sense of presence.
