In January this year, Cariitti’s TAIVE benches and illuminations reached a health club in London. The Finnish actor and sauna builder Pasi Remsu has taken Finnish saunas prominently in Britain, where he has been operating for the past five years. One of his projects was the renewal of the sauna department at the health club Eden Fitness in London.
Remsu explains how the TAIVE benches were picked up to the sauna department and how the members of the gym have received them.
TAIVE benches withstand hard usage
Pasi Remsu has taken the task of building better saunas for the Brits. His company Luxury Sauna has plenty of customers, but along with his main career as an actor, Remsu only builds carefully selected objects.
Eden Fitness is a luxurious gym, including sports halls, a swimming pool and sauna area. In addition to Finnish sauna, Remsu built a steam room in the premises. The project was extensive, as old saunas had to be dismantled before new ones could start to be built. The club visitor base is diverse, which needed to be considered in the design of the saunas.
– There are about a couple of thousand members at the gym, including senior age people. When installing the sauna benches, it had to be considered. Also, older people may not like a too hot sauna, says Remsu.
Finnish products are in the focus of the new sauna department. The entire sauna is made using products of the TAIVE collection. The lights of both the sauna and the steam room are also from Cariitti and the stove came from Tulikivi.
Remsu chose TAIVE benches for the sauna for several reasons. In the gym, the sauna benches are heavily used, since the sauna is used for 18 hours per day. The benches must be durable and easy to maintain.
– Two sets of benches were taken there, as they are heavily used. The easy convertibility of TAIVE benches is a great thing especially in the gym. When they start showing signs of use, the old benches are taken out and replaced by new ones. If something happens, the new part can be ordered easily, Remsu explains.
TAIVE benches were transported to Britain from Finland to be ready for installation on the spot. One of the advantages is that it is easy to transport the benches.
– I gave the dimensions to Cariitti, and the benches came ready from there. The material of TAIVE benches is lighter than regular benches, so the transportation is cheaper.
The Brits should still be instructed about the sauna
Guests of the gym have been attracted by the new sauna department and TAIVE benches. The comfort of the sauna is added by beautiful lighting and glass doors.
– The new sauna raised the hall’s profile very much, and people like to be there. Before it was just a hot room. Now there is real sauna bathing and talk, and people are lying around the benches, Remsu happily describes.
With a hot room Remsu refers to the fact that most of the British saunas are still dry saunas without any ventilation. When new air does not reach the premises and old air does not go out, the bathers run out of oxygen quickly. The Brits must also be instructed about sauna safety matters. In the sauna of Eden Fitness, there have been mishaps, which have led to additional safety equipment.
– Someone had taken a hot stone in the sauna into his hand. We had to build decent fences around the stove. The metallic thermometer and hygrometer were also fitted with a small protection part, as people touched hot metal with their hands.
Along with acting and building saunas Remsu’s future plans include the TV series King of Sauna, which is currently being filmed. In the series he builds saunas in Britain. The main object of the series is the Shangri-La Hotel in London, where Remsu is building a luxury sauna.
-In each episode we also build a sauna for a British home. We also visit some very nice sauna in Finland.
The Eden Fitness Gym was the first place where Remsu used TAIVE benches, but more is coming. He has planned to take TAIVE collection for example to the saunas of his famous British clients and to the dressing room of the Finnish embassy.
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