Kengo Kuma & Associates' seashell-inspired sauna in Japan, SAZAE - Parametric Architecture

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Kengo Kuma & Associates‘ latest project, designed by Taichi Kuma and supervised by the sauna specialty marque TTNE, “SAZAE,” is simply a marque caller wood-clad sauna successful a resort-type glamping installation SANA MANE astatine Naoshima, Japan.

SAZAE is simply a sauna with implicit 5,000 plywood inspired by seashells. The wood was utilized arsenic a material, stacking it up similar a jigsaw puzzle 150 steps implicit meticulous calculations and look similar spiraling seashell. “Designs that imitate surviving things are called biomimicry, and this time, I was inspired by the unevenness of seashells,” Taichi Kuma notes successful denote post.

SANA MANE is connected an land connected by assorted bridges and wrong walking region from the sportfishing port. Naoshima, besides known arsenic the Island of Art, has respective experimental works.

The sauna emerges arsenic a spiraling seashell operation boasting a pleated facade laid atop the factual ground. Kengo Kuma & Associate’s practice with Mr. Keiichiro Sakaguchi, an biology engineer, adopted an exhaust strategy that encourages forced ventilation by pushing the aerial retired of the precocious opening and pulling it from the bottom.

The designers wanted to make a space-conscious of “human scale,” a standard person to nature. Harmonize with the earthy situation and the airy situation circumstantial to this place, ALG Lighting Design created a lighting program based connected the taxable of 5 airy elements.

The sauna opened for lone to edifice guests connected September 29, 2022.

Project Info

Location: SANA MANE, Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan
Client: Yusaku Sanada
Architecture: Kengo Kuma and Associates
Lead architect: Taichi Kuma
Supervision: TTNE
Lighting design: ALG Lighting Design