Avanto Architects is an architectural firm based in Helsinki, Finland, established in 2004 by Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen. The firm’s name, Avanto—meaning a hole in the ice—reflects both its cultural roots in Finnish winter swimming and its guiding philosophy to create architecture that evokes strong sensory experiences.
The office is situated at Kalevankatu 31 in central Helsinki. Since its founding, Avanto Architects has become one of the most recognized Finnish architecture studios, earning over twenty international awards and considerable coverage in the international architectural press.
Avanto’s scope encompasses public buildings, residential projects, and spaces for commercial and cultural use. Notable among their works is the Löyly sauna complex in Helsinki, a contemporary public sauna that merges urban accessibility with a design inspired by driftwood and the Finnish coast. Within two weeks of opening, Löyly was attracting over 400 visitors per day, a testament to its public impact. Another significant project is the Chapel of St. Lawrence in Vantaa, completed in 2010 on a historically meaningful site; this project initially launched the firm after they won the related architectural competition.
Recent commissions include the Finnish Design Shop’s logistics center, where Avanto designed a facade inspired by local forests, producing dramatic contrasts between austere dark surfaces and warmly lit, glass-walled spaces. The firm works with a variety of clients, from municipalities like Helsinki and Espoo to commercial entities such as St1 Ltd and the Kyrö Distillery Company. Their designs consistently integrate environmental sensitivity and careful attention to the user’s experience.