From sleek Scandinavian designs to luxury bespoke installations, a designer sauna is becoming the ultimate wellness upgrade this year
There was a time when going to the sauna meant shuffling into a cramped box at a local gym, trying to avoid eye contact with strangers. But times have changed, and the humble sweatbox – rooted in Turkish hammams, Scandinavia's smoke houses and Japan's onsens – has undergone a bit of a renaissance in far less likely places. Once reserved for exclusive ski resorts and members-only health clubs, the sauna-as-peak-wellness-destination can now be found nestled in community gardens beside London council estates and tucked into the heart of bustling financial districts.
The sauna is the place to be. One scroll through social media confirms it – from David Beckham documenting his morning rituals in his custom-built backyard sauna to Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow showcasing steamy wellness sessions, celebrities have transformed what was once a private therapy into aspirational content. Not to mention when Time Magazine unveiled its ‘World's Greatest Places of 2025’ last month, Oslo's waterfront sauna – with its dramatic cantilevered form suspended over the icy fjord – claimed its spot alongside architectural icons and cultural landmarks.
But this zeitgeist extends well beyond regions with historical sauna traditions. The British Sauna Society reports that Finnish-style public saunas have doubled in the UK between early 2023 and 2024, leaping from 45 to 90, with projections exceeding 200 by this year's end. It stems primarily from a wave of community-driven projects across the capital, where grassroots initiatives have turned a foreign concept into an essential urban amenity, which is testament to two things: a collective desire to sweat out life's stresses and the elevation of the designer sauna from utilitarian sweat box to a community-driven, architectural masterpiece.
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“I've watched and been part of the eruption of the wellness industry since COVID, and the sauna culture included here,” explains Alanna Kit, Partner at Arc, a sauna-cum-amphitheater style lounge in Canary Wharf's Crossrail Place. Designed by local studio CAKE Architecture, it sits on the other end of the spectrum, representing a more elevated approach to thermal wellness. It opened in January as the UK's largest sauna, with capacity for over 60 people, combining traditional sauna practices with contemporary wellness design, positioned firmly in the premium wellness market at £24 a session. That people readily pay this premium speaks volumes about what we now value: not just sweating, but the carefully orchestrated experience of heat, light, and community, designed by architects.
According to Kit, this practice “harnesses the power of thermal stress,” creating effects that mimic exercise while enhancing everything from cardiovascular efficiency to mental resilience. But transcending even these physical benefits is something more fundamental: human connection. The architectural and physiological elements work in concert to foster this essential quality. “The heat itself acts as a natural equaliser, stripping away external status markers and inviting authentic human interaction,” explains Kit. “As the body relaxes and breath deepens, conversations often unfold in a slower, more intentional rhythm. Whether through quiet camaraderie, shared endurance of the heat, or spontaneous conversation, the sauna fosters unspoken bonds and sociability.”
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The timing isn't coincidental. A post-pandemic association with wellness shifts might be obvious, but there's no denying its impact. What was once considered optional has now become foundational. “Community and wellness go hand in hand when considering longevity and quality of life,” she says. Sauna experiences offer a rare, uninterrupted space for genuine interaction in an era of increasing isolation. Unlike digital interactions, saunas cultivate presence, vulnerability, and shared rituals, creating an environment where people can simply be.
The architectural ambition behind contemporary sauna design reveals itself across an extraordinary spectrum – from monuments perched on Nordic clifftops to ingenious adaptations bringing thermal wellness into urban neighbourhoods. It spans luxury hospitality sanctuaries and unexpected installations, transforming overlooked spaces into temples of steam. What unites these different expressions is a shared commitment to elevating an ancient practice through design that engages all senses while reflecting the distinct character of each setting – proving that whether built for exclusivity or accessibility, today's most compelling saunas succeed by creating spaces that are as visually striking as they are emotionally resonant.
What draws architects to these steamy spaces? The sauna's compact, enclosed nature creates a controlled environment where every material choice and formal decision carries heightened significance. Others are enticed by the opportunity to place structures in extreme landscapes, creating dramatic dialogues between built form and natural setting. The stark contrast of geometric precision against wild backdrops has become something of a signature in contemporary sauna design, particularly along Scandinavia's rugged coastlines.
The Nordic design influence remains foundational but has evolved considerably, with traditional wooden structures reimagined. More fundamentally, these spaces represent a shift from purely functional environments to experiential architecture, with a much larger footprint – settings designed not just for their physical properties but for the emotional and sensory journeys they facilitate. “Early inspirations for the project included the ancient Roman baths of Caracalla, the works of Andrea Branzi and Archizoom, as well as Shiro Kuramata's iconic 1994 Issey Miyake boutique and 1988 sushi bar,” says Oliver Wit, founder of Cake Architecture, about their design for Arc sauna in Canary Wharf. “The material palette features red terracotta and deep blue Ketley ‘dreadnought’ quarry tiles, flowing across interconnected spaces in various forms – vanity units, tiered seating, sauna hearths, and ice baths. Monolithic elements distinguish the communal changing space, the circular amphitheatre-style lounge, the 65-person sauna, and the plunge room, which houses 8 semi-sunken two-person ice baths.”
Arc draws from the evolving realms of wellness, club culture, hospitality, and retail. The social dimension has proved particularly resonant, underpinned by atmospheric rituals and ambient music playing as someone waves a towel in circular motions, sending waves of intensified heat through the space. “This is one of our most important pillars at Arc,” Kit explains, “to bridge and honour ancient rituals and traditional practices with scientific rigour and education. It is woven into our classes and guidance through traditional Aufguss sauna rituals, including scented snowballs, towel-waving for movement of steam, and intention setting. We also work with a beautiful 600-year-old monolithic cedarwood altar in the lounge to initiate the experience. Through the space, we incorporated natural elements and biophilic design to usher guests back to nature.”
From Arc in London's financial district to Trosten, which floats on Oslo’s frigid waters, both show how modern sauna designs are reimagining heat therapy. Madrid-based Estudio Herreros approached Trosten as a sculptural intersection of elements, where blackened timber exteriors and warm pine interiors create material tension mirroring the cold-hot experience of Nordic bathing.
Arc, meanwhile, transforms Canary Wharf's interior space through amphitheatre-like geometries – a deliberate design for calm and connection at the very heart of London's most high-stress financial ecosystem.
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In New York, the Rockwell Group-designed Bathhouse offers similar respite, repurposing a century-old former factory building in the Flatiron district into a contemporary wellness sanctuary. The design preserves industrial brick arches and concrete columns while introducing Scandinavian-inspired timber saunas that create material contrasts against the historic shell.
In hospitality settings, these spaces have also become increasingly ambitious. The Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, designed by French-based duo Dorothee Boissier and Patrick Gilles, reinterprets the traditional hammam through a contemporary lens, where latticed screens filter desert light onto heated marble surfaces, creating ethereal patterns that change throughout the day. Meanwhile, Greece's Euphoria Retreat by Natalia Efraimoglou & Partners and DECA Architecture draws on Byzantine domes and ancient Greek temples with its partially subterranean complex. Here, a spiral staircase descends through a cylindrical space where circular openings between floors create a mesmerising play of light and shadow – the architectural embodiment of the journey toward inner enlightenment.
In Dubai, DUBANYA by local firm Bishop Design (operating under their Blended studio) offers an interpretation of the Russian banya tradition within Palm Jumeirah's shores – cultural transplantation executed with respectful authenticity. Brooklyn's World Spa by Wid Chapman Architects similarly draws on global bathing traditions, housing Japanese onsen, Turkish hammams, and Finnish saunas under one expansive roof while maintaining each culture's distinct spatial language.
Prague's Cellarium by Formafatal takes a more brutalist approach, with monolithic concrete forms punctuated by precisely placed apertures that create dramatic light shafts across thermal pools. There’s a certain flair when it comes to architectural expression, which is distinctly European. Conceptual clarity takes precedence over subtle understatement. The same can be said for Norway's Soria Moria sauna by Feste Landscape, whose faceted golden exterior gleams like a fallen gem against the mountain backdrop, its triangular form referencing local folklore while creating a contemporary landmark visible from miles away.
As the sauna renaissance continues to evolve, industry forecasts suggest this is just the beginning. According to Grand View Research, the global sauna market is expected to reach USD 1.27 billion by 2030, which reflects not just increasing consumer demand but the expanding architectural ambition reshaping these spaces.
Mainstream fitness venues have recognised this potential as well. As Lauren Wilson from London-based luxury health club Third Space notes, “We have witnessed the rise in sauna culture among our members with 69% saying they typically use the sauna when visiting the club, which now makes it our most visited area.” The club’s upcoming Chelsea and Notting Hill locations will feature large social saunas with deeper benches, curated music and bespoke lighting for comfort. “As a society, we place an increasing amount of value on our health and wellbeing and use fitness spaces not only to work out, but also to socialise and build community.”
“I'm seeing people take autonomy over their overall health and look for deeper ways to find connection, community, and educate themselves on improving their quality of life,” observes Kit. “Sauna provides all of these pillars. From detoxification and recovery to mental resilience, stress reduction, and community, it's a way to seek and find peak experiences.”
As these architectural statements continue to emerge, they intensify wellness trends in response to an era defined by digital connection. In its place, they offer a counterpoint – physical spaces explicitly designed for embodied presence. From luxurious hotel amenities to community-focused urban interventions, the modern sauna's continued evolution suggests that in our quest for wellbeing, we often find the most innovative solutions by reimagining ancient practices, not as replicas of traditional models but ambitious statements designed by architects who might otherwise be crafting museum wings or luxury residences.
