Ondsauna Saun by Taro Shimokawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Pronksauhind A' Design Award in Arhitektuuri, hoonete ja rajatiste disain Competition Category.

PronksArhitektuur· 2025

Ondsauna Saun

by Taro Shimokawa

Client: Ondpark

Pronksauhind A' Design Award Winner in Arhitektuur Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Ondsauna Saun

Ondsauna on saunahoone, mis on paigutatud metsa keskele. Vertikaalsed välisseinad on koondatud saunaruumi ümber, peegeldades puude ülespoole suunatud kasvu. Spiraalne teerada viib katusel asuvasse puhkealasse. Sissepääs asub 250 millimeetrit maapinnast kõrgemal, jahutusbasseiini terrass 1000 millimeetri kõrgusel ja katusetasand 3250 millimeetri kõrgusel, mistõttu liikumine saunast jahedasse basseini ja seejärel avatud õhu kätte toimub vertikaalselt. Ebakorrapärane hulknurkne plaan ja nürinurksed pingid juhivad vaatejooni ning võimaldavad külastajatel valida oma suhtluse taseme.

The Recognition

About the Pronksauhind A' Design Award

Ondsauna Saun on Pronksauhinna A' Design Award võitja, väga prestiižikas tunnustus, mis antakse silmapaistvatele disainidele, mida iseloomustavad loovus, leidlikkus ja teravmeelsus. Pronksvõitjad on küllaldaselt osavad ja tabavalt loovad teosed, mis kinnitavad oma disainerite laia kogemust, kujutlusvõimet ja leidlikkust. Ondsauna Saun peaks olema kõrgelt hinnatud, imetletud ja armastatud objekt, mis on märkimisväärselt professionaalne ja uuenduslik. See Pronksauhinna A' Design Award võidudisain ühendab parimaid tavasid kunstis, teaduses, disainis ja tehnoloogias ning on suurepärane oma detailidele pööratud tähelepanu poolest. Ondsauna Saun rahuldab suurepäraselt vajadusi, puudutab soove, võlub tundeid ja pakub huvi uudishimule.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Trees grow endlessly upward, a concept reflected in the vertical exterior walls clustered around the sauna room. A spiraling path leads upward to a rooftop relaxation space, mirroring the building's form. The sauna entrance is at GL+250, the cold plunge deck at GL+1000, and the rooftop at GL+3250, so the transition from sauna to cold plunge to open air follows a vertical flow. Viewing the forest at treetop height allows one to share in its growth rhythm.
Dimensions & Packaging: The irregular plan was chosen to allow the passage and expansion of the line of sight and to adjust the degree of intimacy, which was rationally solved by the 150mm CLT floor slab. The elimination of beams has eliminated non-perpendicular joints in the structure, contributing to labor savings in site work. The rational walls of the scale module are discretely assembled and the CLT slab connects them. This structural form itself can be described as a sociopetal structure.
Production Technology: An irregular polygonal floor plan guides sightlines, creating varied scenic views. Research shows conversations are twice as frequent at 90 degrees versus side-by-side. Here, strangers sit together, so we chose obtuse-angled benches to balance interaction and privacy, encouraging conversation without intrusion. Varied seating allows for different levels of interaction, while the overall arrangement around a fire fosters a shared experience.
Inspiration: In a sauna, strangers sit nearly naked in close proximity, creating potential intimacy. Yet in Japan, public saunas haven’t fostered this sense of community. By aligning with Japan’s unique sense of closeness, we aim to create a sociopetal space, encouraging shared understanding without forced intimacy. “Non-intrusive” walls balance connection and separation; their verticality resonates with the forest, while their spacing draws nature in and modulates closeness among neighbors.

Read the Press Release