Soomaa Floating Sauna, New Architecture in Estonia Forest, Workshop 2017
Floating Sauna in Soomaa Forests
Estonian Academy of Arts Interior Architecture Department Architectural Workshop
22 Nov 2017
Soomaa Forests Floating Sauna
Floating wilderness sauna built by students in Soomaa
Design: students with Sami Rintala, Pavle Stamenovic & b210
VALA – Float your way to a sauna
A floating wilderness sauna built by students awaits visitors in Soomaa
In the middle of one the largest national parks in Estonia, Soomaa (literally meaning ?swamp land? in Estonian) a new attraction awaits visitors – a floating wilderness sauna built by students during an international summer school.
VALA sauna photos Tõnu Tunnel:
The sauna is called VALA (?pour? in English) and derives its name from the built-in shower facility that gathers rainwater falling on the roof. Tutored by architect and artist Sami Rintala (Finland), head of the Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA) Interior Architecture department Hannes Praks and Estonian architecture office b210, students built the sauna as a response to the changing and challenging environment of the area.

According to the initiator of the summer school, professor Hannes Praks, a sauna makes a good research and design project for students to tackle, because sauna is layered and interesting space, covering architecture, interior architecture, constructional physics, climatic and cultural aspects. “The sauna ritual is intertwined with wat...