In Finland, as in Sweden and Norway, wellness is second nature. Praised for thousands of years, the self-care rituals of the Nordic sauna are today experiencing a creative bubbling, driven by designers and care addresses in tune with the times.
Nordic care is enjoying a new golden age. At IKEA, the sauna ritual is being celebrated in a collaboration with Marimekko. This limited edition of vibrantly patterned furniture, glassware and textiles embodies the simple beauty of Nordic nature. Fashionable saunas and resorts also celebrate the contemplation of nature (Soria Moria, Big Branzino, Heit Sørfjorden, Ästad Vingård, Yasuragi).
Relax, recharge and take care of yourself.
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Region
NORDIC COUNTRIES
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INSPIRATION
SAUNA
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PROFIT
WELLNESS
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PRINT
RHUBARB & BARK
WITH BASTUA, IKEA & MARIMEKKO OFFER A PIECE OF NORDIC HAPPINESS, WITH OR WITHOUT A SAUNA…
After VARMBLIXT, its collection of lighting and decorative accessories designed with Sabine Marcelis, IKEA, a key player in the field of home well-being, is continuing its collaboration with other Nordic designers. With BASTUA (from the Swedish word bastu, meaning sauna), its latest collaboration released in March, IKEA combines its expertise in furnishings and home décor with the colourful and iconic prints of Marimekko. The two brands’ designers have combined their talents to create furniture, glassware and bath textiles inspired by nature and the Finnish summer.
« The pattern of the BASTUA collection is inspired by the large rhubarb leaves that often grow near the sauna cabins in Finland. To look at or to eat, they offer a unique spectacle, » explains Maija Louekari, designer at Marimekko.
When the sauna offers
a view of the fjords
Sauna on the Stockholm archipelago by Matteo Foresti © TBC
The great return of self-care, advocated for thousands of years by the Scandinavian countries, resonates particularly with the quest for well-being of the new generations. This need to take care of oneself has resulted in an architecture that is as close to nature as possible, with a proliferation of capsules and tiny homes set in the middle of nowhere.
This trend is no exception with saunas and spa cabins being set up on the shores of lakes and fjords. Floating on the water or nestled in the hollow of a steep hill, they offer a breathtaking view of the mountains and glaciers. The interior, dressed in wood, is an extension of the landscape. A rejuvenating treatment for body and soul.
Wellness experiences in the heart of the elements and the rhythm of the seasons
In Swedish Lapland, there is a hotel that floats on water in summer and is surrounded by ice in winter. At the Artic Bath, cryotherapy and ice water swimming are practised and even favoured before the sauna. This holistic therapy is made possible by three spas arranged around an in-ground ice pool in the centre.
Multi-sensory immersion in Scandinavian nature
At the pinnacle of Scandinavian wellness, there is also the Ästad Vingård Hotel in Sweden. A place where you merge wonderfully with nature and its sounds and scents. Located in the heart of the Åkulla beech forest reserve in Halland, Ästad Vingård was conceived as a sound and sensory concept linked to the themes of water, forest and wind. The sounds recorded in the eco-system are played in Sinnenas Spa, a multi-sensory spa where all the senses are used: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
Japanese spa
So far apart geographically and yet so close in lifestyle, Japan and Scandinavia are brought together at Hotel Yasuragi. On the island of Värmdö, just half an hour from the centre of Stockholm, this peaceful retreat merges Japanese and Swedish spa cultures in an exceptionally relaxing and comforting setting.
Gaudian caves
This revival of care is inspiring wellness institutions around the world. Everywhere, saunas are springing up in the heart of the landscape, recreating organic caves and caverns in symbiosis with nature. A return to the « Gaudyesque » roots that recalls the bio-mimetic architectural movement of Gaudí and Javier Senosiain.
