An “artsauna” has been opened for visitors near the Gösta Serlachius Museum of Contemporary Art in the Finnish city of Mänttä, writes Dezeen.
The complex, located on the shore of the lake next to the museum, is intended to reflect the importance of the sauna in traditional Finnish culture.
The sauna was designed by the Spanish architecture office Mendoza Partida and the Italian design studio Bax, which won an international competition organized by the museum.
“Artsauna will be a continuation of the artistic journey at a very homely and intimate level,” the publication quotes the authors of the project.
The sauna is partially integrated into the landscape, the plinth for it was created from artificial stone. The concrete facade was formed using formwork with a corrugated texture. According to the architects, the vertical furrows should resemble the forest around the building. Wood became the main material for interior decoration.
An inner courtyard, modeled after an ancient Roman atrium, leads to the sauna room. The sauna itself is cylindrical, the complex also has changing rooms, a lounge area with a panoramic window and a dining room with a space for wine tasting.
The photography is by Marc Goodwin, Archmospheres.
