Ondsauna Sauna by Taro Shimokawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ìkọ́lé, Ilé àti Ètò Competition Category.
IdẹÌkọ́lé· 2025
Ondsauna Sauna
Client: Ondpark
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award Winner in Ìkọ́lé Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #165443The Design
About Ondsauna Sauna
Ondsauna jẹ́ ilé sauna kan tí a gbé kalẹ̀ nínú igbó. Àwọn ògiri òde tí ó dúró ṣánṣán ni a kójọ yí yàrá sauna náà ká, tí ó ń fi ìdàgbàsókè àwọn igi sí òkè hàn. Ọ̀nà kan tí ó yí ká sí ipò ìsinmi tí ó wà lórí àjà ilé. Ẹnu-ọ̀nà náà wà ní 250 milimita loke ilẹ̀, pẹpẹ omi tútù wà ní 1000 milimita, àti orí àjà ilé ní 3250 milimita, nítorí náà ìṣíṣí láti inú sauna sí omi tútù sí afẹ́fẹ́ gbangba jẹ́ ọ̀nà tí ó tọ̀ọ́gbara. Ètò pátákò aláìdógba àti àwọn ìjókòó igun gbígbòòrò ń darí ojú ìwo àwọn àlejò, tí ó sì ń jẹ́ kí wọ́n yan ìwọ̀n ìbáraẹnisọ̀rọ̀ tí wọ́n fẹ́.
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award
Ondsauna Sauna jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí gan-an tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó tayọ tí wọ́n yàtọ̀ nípasẹ̀ ìṣẹ̀dá, àrékérekè àti ọgbọ́n inú. Àwọn olùborí Idẹ jẹ́ àwọn ohun èlò tó ní ìjáfáfá gan-an tí wọ́n sì ní ìṣẹ̀dá tó yani lẹ́nu tí wọ́n ń ṣe ẹ̀rí ìrírí gbígbòòrò, ìrònú àti ọgbọ́n àwọn olùṣàwòṣe wọn. A retí pé Ondsauna Sauna yóò jẹ́ ohun tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó jẹ́ ti ọ̀jáfáfá lọ́nà tó ṣe pàtàkì tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ nínú iṣẹ́ ọnà, sáyẹ́ǹsì, àwòṣe àti ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ jọ, ó sì tayọ nítorí àfiyèsí rẹ̀ sí àwọn àlàyé kékeré. Ondsauna Sauna ń tẹ́ àwọn ohun tí a nílò lọ́rùn lọ́nà àgbàyanu, ó ń fọwọ́ kan àwọn ìfẹ́ inú, ó ń gbà ọkàn ó sì ń fa ìfẹ́ láti mọ̀ mọ́ra.
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.
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