The exhibition will showcase the sauna as an architectural and social phenomenon

Prague - Under the subtitle Architecture of Pleasure, an exhibition will begin next week at the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery in Prague, showcasing saunas from various corners of the world and different times. This space used for the purification of the body and spirit will be presented as a remarkable part of modern architecture as well as a social phenomenon. Visitors will learn about the history of sauna traditions in the Czech Republic and will find Czech examples among the selection of the best contemporary realizations. For sauna enthusiasts, a sauna will be prepared right at the exhibition.

In front of the gallery, there will be a sauna from the renowned studio H3T Architekti, which has completed nearly two dozen saunas, including the Vltava Baths on a boat, a flying sauna, and a cycling sauna. Reservations can be made on the website.

The exhibition will present wooden, glass, concrete, mobile saunas, saunas on wheels, on water, and underground, featuring works from both lesser-known and famous architects, such as Scandinavian architect Sami Rintala or the Berlin studio Raumlabor.

Public baths were once places for establishing and maintaining social contacts, not only environments for relaxation and sport but also for political discussions, business meetings, and hedonism. "Sauna culture has a strong tradition in the Czech Republic. We can date the bath culture in our territory back to the Middle Ages; it has always been associated with quality architecture, and many leading creators have contributed to the creation of interesting realizations for sports, health, cleansing, and relaxation activities," says Dan Merta, director of the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, regarding the position of saunas in both Czech and international contexts.

"Thanks to this tradition and many experimental projects inspired by foreign realizations, we can visit a large number of interesting and primarily low-budget buildings in the Czech Republic. And perhaps we can even talk about a Czech alternative path thanks to the H3T studio, which has established a solid position across Europe," he added.

Many significant sauna buildings have arisen, according to Merta, in countries where quality architecture thrives - Finland, Norway, and Austria, where there is a dialogue with the genius loci of the landscape and an effort and support for sustainable architecture. However, a sauna can also be an important community and social platform, as is the case in Sandhornøy in northern Norway or at the Helsinki Loyly Public Sauna Complex. It can also contribute to the revitalization of brownfields - as in the case of a metal structure by the Berlin-based Raumlabor, which revitalized the old docks in Gothenburg.

The sauna architecture exhibition will start on January 18 and will last until March 10.