Those who have visited the quays on the south side recently have probably caught up with all the exciting things happening there.
Aqueous barrels
Because for several days new things have been arriving at the quay area below Torghallkvartalet, and the astonishment has been great. Especially when eight large brown barrels appeared. And since we are on Sunnmøre and not on Løten, our first question came quite naturally.
– Are there herring barrels?
– Nope. These are old barrels that were first used for storing port wine, before they became barrels for storing Linjeakevitt, which is going to cross the equator, says Mathias Tvedten in Svai sauna.
Could it get more exotic? Like here in our tracts? It is in connection with the Kulturhavna til Sørsida development that the barrels and the sauna have come into place. And Mathias has a cunning plan with the barrels.
– It happens that on the north side and our sauna there, people bathe in the sea, all year round. Straight from the heat inside and out into the cold water.
They can’t do that here. There is a ban on swimming due to the propellers of the cruise ships. That’s why we fill the barrels with seawater directly from the sea, so that people can jump in and swim. Sit down and enjoy the salt water. And at the same temperature as in Brosundet.
-Getting a hint of the smell of watermelon on your body is probably better than herring. Because these barrels carry a certain age?
-It actually smells like aqua white from the barrels, and yes, this is real craftsmanship made by skilled bookmakers and cared for by bookmakers. They are over 50 years old and obsolete for their intended use, so we got them from Arcus. They suit this perfectly, says Mathias, who was in Oslo himself and picked up the barrels.
Seven of the barrels have benches and are to be filled with circulating seawater, explains Mathias, and brings the group of craftsmen along for a test. Philip Robertson, project manager Petter Nordheim and Kjell Magne Sandvik from Strømsheim Bygg, as well as Erik Sandvik from Bravida jump in for a photo.
A shower will be installed on the last barrel. They have all crossed the equator for the very last time with aquavit from Løten. Now the traveling barrels have been retired and will stand for everyone’s enjoyment at Kulturhavna, because they are all now built into a large slab in front of the sauna, which is on wheels.
Double sauna
– The sauna is brand new and is mobile, but now it is intended to be here fairly permanently, at least for a couple of years, and it will now be opened this weekend when Kulturhavna opens, says Mathias.
-It’s big. What can you say about it?
-There is a sauna in two parts and two entrances.
In other words, two saunas with associated changing rooms. Now we haven’t checked very well how many people can fit, but around ten in each sauna I should think will go well.
The working team from Bravida and Strømsheim Bygg has jumped out of the barrels. Now they are busy getting plating, barrels and an elegant system of water pipes for the barrels in place. And not least prepare the sauna trolley itself for opening.
– This will be great, says project manager at Strømsholm Bygg, Petter Nordheim.
-On Thursday we will bring two houses that we have built at the back of Flatholmen. Two houses of 4×6 meters each. These can be used for many different things at Kulturhavna, he says.
Now you can soon click in for sauna and barrel bathing.
– Booking will be from the same booking system and website as the sauna we have on the north side. Soon you will be able to walk in and also find this sauna on the side, says Mathias, who is probably just as excited as the rest of us.
– We are very excited about the reception, because we hope that people want to try, says Mathias.
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