Ondsauna Savna by Taro Shimokawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Bronasta nagrada A' Design Award in Arhitektura, gradnja in oblikovanje konstrukcij Competition Category.

BronastaArhitektura· 2025

Ondsauna Savna

by Taro Shimokawa

Client: Ondpark

Bronasta nagrada A' Design Award Winner in Arhitektura Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Ondsauna Savna

Book Text: Ondsauna je savna, postavljena sredi gozda. Navpične zunanje stene so združene okoli prostora savne in odražajo navzgor usmerjeno rast dreves. Spiralna pot vodi do sproščevalnega prostora na strehi. Vhod se nahaja 250 milimetrov nad tlemi, pomol za hladno kopel na 1000 milimetrih, streha pa na 3250 milimetrih, tako da je gibanje od savne prek hladne kopeli do odprtega prostora navpično. Nepravilen poligonalni tloris in klopi s topimi koti usmerjajo poglede in obiskovalcem omogočajo, da sami izberejo stopnjo interakcije.

The Recognition

About the Bronasta nagrada A' Design Award

Ondsauna Savna je prejemnik Bronaste nagrade A' Design Award, zelo prestižnega priznanja, ki se podeljuje izjemnim oblikovanjem, ki se odlikujejo po ustvarjalnosti, iznajdljivosti in bistrosti. Prejemniki Bronaste nagrade so v celoti spretni in presenetljivo ustvarjalni artefakti, ki potrjujejo bogate izkušnje, domišljijo in zvitost svojih oblikovalcev. Od Ondsauna Savna se pričakuje, da bo visoko cenjen, občudovan in ljubljen predmet, opazno profesionalen in inovativen. To oblikovanje, nagrajeno z Bronasto nagrado A' Design Award, vključuje najboljše prakse v umetnosti, znanosti, oblikovanju in tehnologiji ter je odlično po pozornosti do podrobnosti. Ondsauna Savna sijajno zadovoljuje potrebe, se dotika želja, očara čustva in vzbuja radovednost.

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