The Design-Saunas article introduces six wonderful saunas designed by talented architects. There are many great saunas around the world, but these six saunas stand out from the rest.
There are countless saunas around the world. This time, I want to focus on design saunas. These saunas have been designed by world-famous architects. Some of these have been nominated and/or awarded various prizes.
Unique design and interesting use of wood is what all these six saunas have in common. One sauna even has a great heart-shaped stove.
1. Löyly – Helsinki
The magnificent wooden structure on Helsinki’s Hernesaari, known as Löyly, was completed in 2016. Löyly has received a lot of publicity around as well as several award nominations. Löyly also has its own restaurant.
Löyly is designed for the locals as well as for Finnish and foreign tourists. Its idea is to serve as a “living room” for the townspeople and I think it has succeeded well.
Time Magazine included Löyly in its list for 100 greatest places in 2018.
Read more: The World’s 100 Greatest places in year 2018
Löyly has three saunas, all heated with wood-burning sauna stoves. One of the saunas is always warm, one of them is a smoke sauna and the third sauna can be booked for private use.
Between your sauna visits, you can go for a swim in the sea. Swimming is possible in both summer and winter. Löyly is open every day of the year.
Löyly has been designed by architects Anu Puustinen and Ville Hara from Avanto Arkkitehdit Oy.
Read more: Löyly Helsinki
2. The Solar Egg – Kiruna
The Golden Egg Sauna is located in Luossabacken, Kiruna, Sweden, and is a masterpiece by the architectural firm Bigert & Bergström. The sauna has been commissioned by Riksbyggen, a Swedish builder. The Solar Egg sauna is a gift to the city of Kiruna.
The exterior of the sauna is golden, the inside of the walls are wood. The heart-shaped stove is unique and made espesially for this sauna. The sauna is built of 69 individual pieces.
The sauna is usually on display and in use in Kiruna, Sweden. Winters in Swedish Lapland are dark but in summer there is light around the clock. This is what inspired the architects to make the sauna golden.
The sauna reflects rebirth and new possibilities, which also explains the heart-shaped stove. The stove can be turned 170 degrees. The sauna can accommodate 8 people at a time. At the time of writing, more than 5,000 people have visited the sauna.
The sauna is about five meters high and four meters wide. The inside of the sauna is paneled with pine wood and the outside is covered with golden panel boards.
The Solar Egg has received many architectural nominations. The sauna was completed in April 2017, and the sauna has been on display e.g. In Paris, where guests had access to the sauna.
3. Sauna – Saltsjöbaden
Swedish architects have designed a spectacular-looking sauna in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden. Saltsjöbaden is located near Stockholm, a half-hour train ride from the city center.
Saltsjöbaden has a long spa culture. The original Saltsjöbaden spa association was founded as early as 1890. Their purpose was to maintain the local spa culture close to nature and the sea. The place is well accessible by boat and there is an opportunity to exercise outdoors.
The new sauna building, designed by Murma Architects, was completed in 2011. They were inspired by the main building, which has been on site for decades.
The sauna is built of strong pine wood imported from Gotland. The building is accessed from the central door. There is a shower, toilet and storage space in the central part of the building. On the east side there is a sleeping area with a small kitchen, a sofa and an armchair. There is a sauna on the west side. The front of the building is made of glass which guarantees a spectacular view. The sun sets directly on the sauna building, the cliffs and the dock.
4. Grotto Sauna – Ontario
The Grotto Sauna is located in Ontario, Canada. More specifically, on the corner of an island in Lake Huron. The sauna has been designed by the award-winning Partisa Architects. The sauna was completed in 2014.
The sauna is built on a rocky shore by the lake. On the outside it looks rectangular, but on the inside, it has a rounded shape and feels and looks like a cave. The sauna has been inspired by Italian caves and traditional craftmanship.
The building is made of cedar wood. The design of the sauna breathtaking and it feels like a part of the landscape and nature. This sauna is special. I would argue that out of all the saunas in the world, this has been shared the most on social media.
The sunset is incredibly beautiful in the Grotto Sauna. National Geographic has listed this place’s sunset as one of the best in the world.
5. Floating sauna – Pärnu
Japanese architect Tomomi Hayashi has designed a magnificent floating sauna on the Pärnu River. Hayashi used abandoned pontoons as building material for the sauna. The sauna is designed and built for his good friend and for private use only.
The design is very simple and urban. The sauna plans were made 2011 and 2012 and the sauna was completed in 2013. The sauna is upholstered in Siberian larch.
The sauna has a cooling area, built like a living room with a large dining table and benches. It is possible to change clothes on the other side, next to the sauna. The sauna can accommodate 8-10 saunas and the ferry can accommodate a total of 20 people.
Architect Tomomi Hayashi has received several nominations and the prizes for his design.
Read more and see photos: Estonian Sauna’s Facebook
6. Steam of Life Sauna – Arizona
Known as the Desert Sauna, Steam of Life Sauna has been designed together with the Sauna on Fire Association and the Finnish architectural firm JKMM. Together, they created a sauna to introduce the Finnish mentality abroad. In 2019, Steam of Life Sauna was involved for the first time at the Burning Man Festival.
The Burning Man Festival is held every year (not in 2020) at the turn of August-September in Arizona in the Black Rock Desert. 80,000 people gather for the festivals every year. Burning Man is not just a festival but much more, it is a small town that lives for a week.
Many musical and visual artists, and other communities build and create art for a week. The idea is that everything is burnt at the end of the week. The event starts at $ 450 and there is no way to spend money, and the event is not commercial.
The Steam of Life Sauna is luckily not burnt at the end of the festival. The idea is to rebuild it every year. The sauna is built of pine and is easy to assemble and disassemble. The sauna is round and hides an open space inside. It also has dressing and shower areas.
Read more: Steam of Life Sauna
Can you think of any other saunas that should be on this list?
Here were the first six amazing Design Saunas, each unique in their own way. Let’s see if I make a part two at some point. I hope you enjoyed this article and learn something new!
