Sauna, Smådalarö by Metropolis Arkitekter is inspired by the traditional boathouses, which are located near the seashore, with a roof that is characterized by large overhangs that keep the space dry in the immediate environment, against the rains.
The façade and the framework of the building are made of untreated pine wood. In this way, over time, the colour changes to greyish, just like the rocks. The glass of the windows is glued to the facade without frames.
Project Description by Metropolis Arkitekter
Sauna built-in 2020 on Smådalarö in the Stockholm archipelago.
The assignment was to create a sauna, workshop and storage for boat equipment and canoes.
We took inspiration from a traditional boathouse with its large roof and placed a simple box with all the functions underneath. The space between the roof and the box provides space for canoes and oars. The large cantilever of the roof keeps the space dry.
In our projects, detail is especially important, and we usually try to use construction as an architectural element in an almost childish pedagogical way. In this building, we have chosen to expose the construction and clearly show how the box is suspended in it under the large roof. The windows in insulating glass are glued to the facade without a frame and secured with brass fittings. At the exposed location on the cliff that slopes steeply towards the sea, the wind gusts are sometimes extremely hard, which has led to a construction of continuous screw joints. In the autumn at high tide, the sea reaches all the way up to the pillars. The facade and the wooden framework is made of untreated pine that over time turns gray and melts into the rocks. Altogether this gives the building a tectonic strong character.
