Lots of wood, lots of glass and lots of privacy characterise the generously presented sauna booths by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez. The front and the anterior side walls are made from glass from floor to ceiling and open up the sauna, which is flooded with the light that pours through. Special attention was paid to the lighting design: the light sources are indirect, integrated into the edges of the invitingly large seating steps – hidden from the observer. The distinctive exterior of the sauna stands out with its unique interplay of wooden rails and joints. This makes it almost impossible to see inside from the outside. There is a choice of hemlock, oak or walnut wood.
The invisibility of technology is a key principle of Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez, which is why the sauna heater is positioned discreetly beneath the bench. Nothing disturbs the view, the bather is submerged in light and warmth, thus allowing the feeling of relaxation to unfold especially well. This inspires the professional world: The Matteo Thun Edition sauna has first won the Interior Innovation Award 2015. In addition, the jury of the "Plus X Award" has awarded this extravagant sauna creation few weeks later in three categories: high quality, design and ease of use.
Creating heaven on earth was the vision of the steam bath. The result is a real pleasure in pure white – the colour of innocence. The front, made from matt glass, captivates the eye with a symphony of large, opaline panes and slender viewing panels. The rear side walls are designed with a waterproof quartz agglomerate and continue the graphic design of the glass front. Here, too, the light concept is heavenly, as the lights are embedded into the ceiling. This gives the feeling of sun rays flooding into the space.
This greatest possible transparency opens up the bather’s heart: “We wanted to create spaces of complete refuge. Two cocoons that are shielded from the outer world and yet reveal the view to the outside – a feeling of security like that in the womb. Our designs were intended to be simple, with clear lines and cubistic volume. Familiar memories. Once the door is closed behind you, absolute calm envelopes you.
No disturbing elements and no visible technology can distract from the relaxation,” says Matteo Thun. Creation to him means designing a soul. Design meets manufacture in this special edition. On the one hand the vision of the designer Matteo Thun, on the other hand the world’s market leader KLAFS, with its unique specialist knowledge of sauna and spa.
The result is two wellness worlds with a stylish language: Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez and KLAFS, brothers in spirit, join hands in this special edition.
About the designer:
Matteo Thun was born in Bolzano in 1952 into a noble South Tyrolean family that made its name in the manufacture of ceramics. He studied under Oskar Kokoschka at the Academy in Salzburg and completed his doctorate in architecture at the University of Florence. In 1981, together with the designer Ettore Sottsass, he founded the legendary Memphis group, before opening his own studio in Milan. He taught at the University of Applied Art in Vienna, among other places. From 1990 until 1993 he was the art director for Swatch. He has been awarded the Italian design prize »Compasso d’Oro« three times and was admitted to the New Yorker Hall of Fame in 2004.