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The Sauna: Surefire Way To Warm Up Detroiters

DETROIT (WWJ)  - They're young, they're creative and they're making things happen all over Detroit. The artists at the North End Studios are part of Detroit's youth movement that is rebuilding the city one small project at a time.

The North End Studios is a collective where visual and other artists rent space and support and inspire each other. Their latest project is an authentic Finnish sauna.

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The Sauna's stove. (Credit/North End Studios)

The sauna is the brain child of Henri Yoki, who moved here from Finland in May and missed the saunas that are in every house in his homeland. In three weeks, Yoki and the other artists and volunteers raised $5,000 and built the sauna themselves out of cedar at the back of their spot on Loraine Street. Yoki especially likes the sauna's stove made in the shape of a Demon's head.

"The structure is done in a way that when it's like full fire the eyes will gleam fire as well," said Yoki. The stove was designed and built by two local artists and is loaded with over 100 pounds of rocks taken from a lake. Yoki said they tested it out and all systems are go.

"I feel that there's a great energy, especially in the creative scene in Detroit," said Yoki. "If I would have gone to another city I think it would have been pretty impossible for me to say, 'Hey, let's build a sauna,' and in three weeks, we have a sauna."

There will be a public party to officially open the sauna on Saturday, February 5th at 6 p.m. at the North End Studios at 5101 Lorraine Street in Detroit. There will be music and Yoki will show his art.

GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OPENING AT THE NORTH END STUDIO - HERE. 

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