Sauna
Sauna stool by Antti Nurmesniemi for Palace Hotel, Helsinki.
Kai Franck.
My present from Kylliki Salmenhaara. Photo: Janis Kravis.
My present from Kai Franck. Photo Janis Kravis.
Antti Nurmesniemi had invited me to sauna at the Palace Hotel, which was designed by Viljo Revell together with Reimo Pietila and for which Antti had been the interior architect together with Olli Borg. This was supposed to be the best sauna in Helsinki. It is located on the roof of the tallest part of the building, with a magnificent view of the harbour and the city. At this time warships from the Royal Navy were visiting and were anchored directly in front of us. The sauna was beautifully outfitted. There was a steam room, where the temperature was 120 degrees celsius, a soaping table, showers and a lounge area with several beds. We sat in the sauna and absorbed the heat, after a while an older lady brought us whisks of leafy birch branches with which we beat our bodies. When we got too hot we went out on the balcony to cool off and enjoy the view. We went back into the sauna and enjoyed the birch branches some more. After that, each one of us in turn, had to lie down on the soaping table and the lady soaped and scrubbed us all over. We went back into the steam, showered and then rested on the beds in the lounge.
After sauna Antti and I went to dinner at Monte Carlo, which was supposed to have the best food. During dinner Antti telephoned his friend Olli Borg, who is a well known designer and teacher. He arrived around eight o'clock and we drank coffee and cognac and we talked about architecture and design. Around twelve o'clock we decided that we should visit another establishment. As se left Monte Carlo, we noticed that some horse and buggy vehicles had arrived. The three of us piled in. The horses smelled like horses and we were in a happy mood. By the time we arrived at another bar, it was already closed. We did not give up and proceeded to walk to another bar. On the way we saw many drunk English sailors supporting each other on the way back to their ships. On one of the main streets wev saw a well dressed gentleman standing on the edge of he sidewalk and aiming his natural juices into the gutter in all seriousness. When we arrived at our destination, this bar was also closed. Then Olli Borg, who was the head of the Academy of Art, took us to his school where there was supposed to be a bottle of sherry. Unfortunately, when we got there, someone had already drunk it. We headed to my hotel, which was nearby. On the way we each ate three sausages. Apparently you are not allowed to have visitors at this early hour so the doors were locked. We rank the door bell and summoned the night watchman. I had bought a bottle of cognac at the duty free for just this kind of an occasion. We chatted for about an hour and they left. Saturday afternoon Olli showed me around his school and student work. We went for a walk around the city. Around seven, Antti picked us up and we went on a sightseeing tour of some of the newer districts and saw some important buildings. We saw Alvar Aalto's home and studio and some apartment buildings designed by Viljo Revell in Tapiola. The architecture overall was of very high quality and well integrated into the landscape. Around ten in the evening, as it was getting dark, we drove to Olli Borg's home, where Olli's wife and Antti's wife awaited us. We were served an Italian dinner. we ate freshly made pickles, cheese and grapes. Drank red wine and debated weather Kai Franck was greater than Alvar Aalto or vice versa. Our discussion lasted till about four in the morning and then Antti drove me to my hotel.
On another occasion, Antti took me to the home of Kai Franck for a visit. He lives in a very interesting new residential neighbourhood. Kai Franck has been called the Grandfather of Finnish Design and works in glass and ceramics.
Today, May 23, I met with Kai Franck and we drove to the Arabia factory where they create art ceramics and porcelain and where the various designers have their studios. There are a number of regulations at Arabia that the designers have to observe. They have to use a time clock to check in in the mornings and out in the evenings. They are not allowed to leave the building during the day. They may also not take home anything that they produce. If they want to take home something that is cracked or damaged, they have to ask for special permission and the parcel has to have a special red tag to be allowed out of the building. Their reward is the freedom that they can create anything that they wish and what enters their mind. This of course is an important freedom. I had a tour and met several designers. A ceramic artist Kylliki Salmenhaara gave me one of her works which I had admired. She works in very textured red clay. The piece was one of a series of upside-down pyramid type containers balancing on a very small footprint. She even managed to arrange for the red sticker. Kai Franck gave me one of his rooster glass bottles and a young glass designer one of his vases. All the items were wrapped together in one parcel and the red sticker attached. Kai Franck carried the parcel out through security and the gates. I still treasure all of the items.