When it comes tohealth and relaxation, we’ll do about anything for our bodies. Hence the fact that acupuncture is so popular despite the ever-present fear of needles that humans have. Heat can be the same way.

While we don’t generally pull ourselves towards heat on a hot summer day, saunas are often used to help us relax. Today, we’re going to look at some of the best sauna designs that we’ve ever seen so you too can create that dream sauna.

What Is A Sauna?

A sauna is a small room heated to temperatures above 150°F though less than 200°F. There are usually temperature controls just as you’d see in a shower with benches lining the room for people to sit at.

Often the heat is also controlled by having heated rocks that you pour water over to create steam. The more water, the more steam you create as long as the rocks stay heated. The walls are usually unpainted for safety reasons.

What Are Saunas Good For?

Saunas are often called dangerous if you don’t know how to use them. It’s important to stay hydrated even if you don’t feel like drinking water before and after using the sauna. Never use the sauna for long periods of time.

Instead, use the sauna in shorter bursts and not too many times a day. This will prevent dehydration and instead add the benefits that we will list below. We all know that these are important aspects of your health.

Relaxation

Please do not use saunas if you have asthma or another underlying condition unless you ask your doctor first. But do use them if you do not have any conditions and need a bit of relaxation.

Saunas can really help relieve stress as your heart rate will slow and improve blood circulation. This is the main reason people use saunas in the first place as it will not only soothe your body but your mind as well.

Pain Relief

Saunas can make you less receptive to pain as you relax more and your muscles are soothed. Saunas are often prescribed in certain countries to those with arthritis or other similar disorders that cause chronic pain.

They are a good substitute for hot tubs which can actually be filled with bacteria. Saunas are perfectly healthy! However, they do not help you lose weight nor get rid of toxins in your body, so don’t use them for those reasons.

Amazing Sauna Designs

If you’re looking for some of the coolest saunas you’ve ever seen then you’ve come to the right place. These sauna designs are absolutely stunning, created by some of the world’s greatest architects.

Small Architecture Workshop Sauna Design In Sweden

This sauna was created by Small Architecture Workshop in Sweden. The charred-looking wood on the exterior gives it a cozy, rustic, and secluded look. It was created in just two weeks for a bed and breakfast.

The sauna itself is overlooking a lake and is surrounded by trees. You can even walk out onto a small pier that is connected to the sauna and to the lake. This sauna can accommodate up to eight people comfortably.

Partisan Projects Sauna Near Toronto

This adorable sauna by Partisan Projects is called Grotto. It is off the shore of Lake Huron, north of Toronto, and is built on a piece of ancient granite that pokes up out of the water. Now that’s a special place.

Inside, you’ll find curved seats, windows, and features that are made to blend in with nature. It is also made out of cedar so it smells amazing when the steam reaches the pores of the wood yet it doesn’t get soggy or slick.

Bigert & Bergström Egg Sauna In Sweden

Have you ever seen an egg-shaped sauna? Well, now you have. It was built for the Swedish town of Kiruna and the people absolutely adore this sauna. It was built when the town feared they’d lose their sense of community.

This is something important in many small towns across the world, but especially in Sweden. So not only does this look awesome but it is also an important piece of Swedish culture and what family (blood or not) means to them. Design by Swedish artist duo.

Denizen Sauna In Finland

Finland can be very frigid at certain times of the year, so saunas are an important part of life in the country. The designer is Denizen Works + Friends and the designers have big plans for the future of this sauna.

The sauna is a mobile sauna that was built in just nine days using locally sourced timber and recycled windows. The goal is to make it possible to take the sauna out onto the ice for swimming and ice fishing.

Student-Build Design In Norway

A group of students from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design designed and built this seaside sauna that looks like steps over this rocky land. It is a genius idea that only students could come up with.

The sauna is called The Bands and it looks amazing inside and out. Each band moves independently so that they can shift in a staggered manner. Inside is neat and clean, with a fresh look that is unique to this sauna.

AtelierFORTE Sauna In Italy

This Milan studio built this gorgeous Italian sauna that was inspired by a bird. The Norse myth of raven messengers Huginn and Muninn to be exact. What better inspiration than Norse mythology?

The sauna is even built on stilts so it flies over the ground with two wings spanning each side of the sauna. If you want to visit this sauna you’d have to love nature and be able to climb up the ladder to reach it.

Haeckels Sauna In Margate Beach

This sauna was actually designed and built by a skincare brand known as Haeckels. It is Victorian-inspired with classic western touches. It features a retractable awning and steps that can be pulled up to offer privacy.

Inside you’ll find that there isn’t a lot of seating, which only makes the sauna even cozier. Because most people prefer to use the sauna as a couple or with only a few friends. This is the perfect sauna for that.

Raumlabor’s Design In Gothenburg

This Swedish sauna is the most industrial sauna you’ll see. While most saunas prefer wooden walls, this sauna takes advantage of the advantages of having metal ones. Just look at how cool it turned out.

While the interior is all wooden, the exterior is all metal. This really makes it look like some sort of solace or retreat in a dystopian novel or movie. This is why it’s so popular with the younger crowd in Sweden.

Toni Yli-Suvanto Architects Design In Finland

This sauna is located in the cold city of Lapland. The area is frigid and the sauna needs to withstand winter blizzards. Everything in the area is built to last and this sauna is no different. Local architects know what they are doing.

On the inside, you’ll find an adorable fireplace in the center of the sauna. It is wood-fueled with local timber and over 95 percent of the timber used for the building was sourced locally as well.

Native Narrative Sauna In Denmark

This is a very new sauna that was built in 2020. The design was invented by Native Narrative and it is wonderful. The mobile sauna’s exterior is dark and can be hidden in the forests of southern Denmark.

But the interior is all light and airy. This contrast is everything you’d need in a sauna because it fits both styles, light and dark. The sauna makes the most of its small space by adding the right amount of seating.

Jeschke Architektur&Planung Sauna In Germany

This special sauna is located in Jordanbad in Biberach, Germany. The sauna village was updated just a few years ago and the results are phenomenal. The village can hold over 100 people.

This makes it one of the largest sauna villages in the world. If you only visit one sauna in your lifetime, let it be this gorgeous village that could be everything you need to get rid of the stress and restore the wonder in your life.

Building Your Own Or Visiting

It can be difficult to decide if you want to build your own sauna or just visit a sauna. If you don’t have any saunas nearby, then chances are, you should build your own if you want to use one very often.

But if you just want a bit of stress relief for a while, then taking a vacation near a sauna could be exactly what you need. Either way, you should never underestimate the power of saunas and their ancient benefits.