Partanen & Lamusuo's sauna concept starts a discussion and questions boundary disputes

If something symbolizing Finland was to be built on the border of Finland, what would it be? "Saunas, a lot of saunas," stated the current president Alexander Stubb during the election season. The construction of saunas on the border resonated strongly with the artist-architect couple Partanen & Lamusuo. The funny and insightful proposal inspired them to envision how they could use their creativity in socially significant projects

Partanen & Lamusuo's goal is to make the world a better place, one piece at a time. But how do you build a better future when the unstable geopolitical situation and international and national disputes incite uncertainty and fear?

"We are closely following the public debate on geo- and border politics, and the world situation certainly worries all of us. Borders are discussed not only in Finland but also in many other countries. There is tension, challenges, and turbulence at borders in different parts of the world", think Partanen & Lamusuo.

The importance of borders also came to the fore in the election exams organized before the Finnish presidential elections. With a lighter touch, borders were discussed in Yle Kiosk's Gogi quick questions.

Partanen & Lamusuo particularly remembered President Alexander Stubb's answer to the question of what kind of symbol of Finland should be built on the border: "Saunas, really a lot of saunas," was his answer.

"We started thinking about how and where disagreements have been resolved throughout history, and the answer was obvious: in the sauna, of course! We Finns, we have been born and we have lived in the sauna. Even difficult topics have been discussed in the sauna and eventually we have come out as friends."

PeaceBorderSauna concept strengthens mutual trust

From these starting points, Partanen & Lamusuo created the idea of ​​saunas to be built on the border, to unite nations, build trust and strengthen partnerships. The sauna concept was named PeaceBorderSauna.

PeaceBorderSauna’s primary goal is to question border disputes, spark discussion, and search for alternative solutions to conflicts. PeaceBorderSauna is Partanen & Lamusuo’s opening for joint actions to build a better world.

“Many people are currently thinking about how they can help resolve the conflicts that are going on at far too many borders. One border conflict is too many. The first step is to get people to meet each other and talk with an open mind,” Partanen & Lamusuo say.

Partanen & Lamusuo did not plan PeaceBorderSauna as a place where official or political decisions are made. Instead, the foundation for mutual trust and friendship is created in the sauna.

“We want to restore the sauna’s value as a conversational connection builder in a modern, equal way that takes into account all the conversationalists. In the 2020s, the air will be cleaned in the sauna, but everyone will be included in the official decision-making, regardless of gender and other characteristics. There is no going back to the way of the past decades, where final decisions were made in the sauna within a small circle of decision makers”, Partanen & Lamusuo emphasize.

The sauna symbolizes renewal and purification

“We go to the sauna symbolically open, with clothes and weapons removed. With an open mind, you can truly hear the partner’s point of view. A genuine and open meeting dispels fear and builds a solid foundation for agreement. Through mutual appreciation, disagreements can be resolved and sustainable solutions to conflicts can be developed”, Partanen & Lamusuo reflect.

The sauna is an essential part of Finnish culture, and different variations of saunas are familiar all over the world. The Russian Banja is a folk sauna, where you traditionally cleanse yourself mentally and physically. In Mexican and Central American cultures, temazcals were used to settle disputes. The traditional purpose of Korean hanjeungmak was healing.

The PeaceBorderSauna concept is influenced by different cultures, and the concept is designed to adapt to different environments. Bodies of water have been taken into account in this concept: a sauna can be built, for example, in the middle of a border river or on an island in a border lake.