Social Sauna – Culture of Bathe-ing

Social Sauna – Culture of Bathe-ing
Jane Withers

Social Sauna explores the global culture of sauna, steam and communal bathing.  The book traces the evolution of sauna traditions from ancient steam rituals to today’s innovative bathhouse designs and social wellness spaces.
Featuring projects such as the Bathing Culture sauna in Gothenburg, the Agora sauna created for the SALT festival, and pioneering urban bathhouses including Löyly in Helsinki and Othership in New York, the publication shows how sauna is being reimagined for the 21st century as a place for wellbeing, community and shared ritual.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photography and design imagery, capturing contemporary sauna architecture, rituals and bathing spaces around the world.
This expanded 2026 second edition includes a new afterword by Robert Hammond reflecting on the global resurgence of bathing culture.
Publisher: Therme Group