Floating Sauna

Constructed in 2002 for the community of Rosendal, Norway, the sauna in the Hardangerfjord serves as a democratic centerpoint of the village. The walls are semi-transparent and pulsating according to the steam raising up from the water thrown to the hot stones. All the village can see when the things are cooking. One comes to the public sauna swimming or with a rowing boat, takes off the clothes and enters the bath. The floor is open to the sea, making it possible to have a dip inside the sauna. Norwegians are the masters of boat building, they are the original Vikings, and Finns can not live without a sauna. The Floating Sauna is a happy marriage between the Finnish and Norwegian cultures. Designed by Casagrande & Rintala with Västlands Kunstakademiet.