Temporary wellness installation by Rintala Eggertsson Architects highlights New York’s growing sauna culture
Brooklyn, New York | March 2026
A temporary social sauna installation has arrived at Domino Park in Williamsburg as part of The Culture of Bathe-ing, a wellness-focused festival celebrating the growing popularity of communal bathing experiences in New York City.
The pop-up, organized by Therme Group, features a custom-built sauna designed by Rintala Eggertsson Architects and a series of smaller bathing pavilions scattered across the waterfront park.
Running from February 12 through March 1, the festival offers visitors a mix of sauna rituals, performances, talks and music events.
A New Chapter in New York’s Sauna Boom
Over the past few years, New York City has experienced a surge in boutique bathhouses and wellness spaces. Neighborhoods like Williamsburg and the Flatiron District have become hubs for sauna culture, with venues such as Bathhouse Williamsburg and other boutique wellness operators drawing growing crowds.
Robert Hammond, president of Therme Group U.S., said the temporary installation was intended to celebrate and expand public awareness of bathing culture beyond traditional spa environments.
The company partnered with Two Trees Management, the developer behind Domino Park, to host the event on the Williamsburg waterfront.
A Waterfront Sauna Designed for Social Rituals
At the center of the festival is a custom social sauna designed by Rintala Eggertsson Architects, led by architects Dagur Eggertsson and Sami Rintala.
The structure is a dramatic black-painted wooden pavilion overlooking the East River, with sweeping views of Manhattan’s skyline. Its winged silhouette resembles a butterfly—or possibly a bat—creating a distinctive architectural landmark within the temporary festival grounds.
Inside, a central stage and entrance area is flanked by tiered seating, allowing visitors to participate in Aufguss, a traditional sauna ritual where steam and aromatics are circulated through choreographed towel movements.
A Collection of Experimental Sauna Pavilions
Beyond the main pavilion, the festival includes 15 architecturally diverse sauna structures, each offering a different interpretation of the bathing experience.
Among them are:
- A wooden barrel sauna mounted on wheels
- Sleek glass-fronted sauna cabins
- A retrofitted Airstream trailer sauna
- A converted shipping container designed to support humid sauna environments
These installations combine experimental architecture with wellness design, creating a playful landscape of heat, steam and social interaction along the waterfront.
Art, Music and Wellness Programming
The event also includes a cultural program curated in partnership with Pioneer Works.
Alongside sauna sessions, the schedule features:
- Live performances
- Artist talks
- DJ sets and evening gatherings
Visitors begin their experience at a concierge desk inside One Domino Square, a residential tower designed by Selldorf Architects, before changing and heading across the street to the sauna installations.
Temporary Architecture Meets Urban Wellness
By blending architecture, performance and bathing rituals, the Culture of Bathe-ing festival reflects a broader shift in how urban residents engage with wellness spaces.
The Domino Park installation demonstrates how temporary architecture can activate public space while introducing new cultural experiences—suggesting that sauna culture in New York may continue to expand well beyond traditional spa environments.
