Atmosphere: A Revival Installation
ATMOSPHERE: A REVIVAL INSTALLATION
Studio Rain
LOCATION
Alphington, Australia
CATEGORY
Temporary Installations
ARCHITECTS
Studio Rain
MANUFACTURER
Abbey Timber, CSR Cemintel, Laserlite, Metro Reusables, Sauna and Steam
PHOTOGRAPHS
Rachel Jayne Mackay
DESIGN TEAM
Angus Wirth, Alice Nivison, Rachel Mackay, Richie Northcott
YEAR
2020
CLIENTS
National Gallery of Victoria / Melbourne Design Week
COLLABORATORS
Fresh Prince Studio (Fabrication & Build), Sauna + Steam Australia (Wood-fire Sauna System)
‘Atmosphere: A Revival’ is an architectural sauna installation. A temporary re-activation of what was an iconic swimming destination from the 1920s-1960s, the project seeks to promote individual and social wellbeing through the revival of bathing culture.
The design philosophy of the sauna is centred on a blurring of the boundaries between personal and public space. The structure is designed to encourage visitors to explore the threshold between intimate social contact and personal space.
Traditional materials are combined with more experimental ones so as to play with levels of transparency and obscurity. Such materials allow the natural environment to have a presence in the space, whilst maintaining an intimate and sacred atmosphere.
Designed to be completely off-grid, the sauna is a lightweight, prefabricated structure that has a sensitive footprint on the site and the environment.
The structure is made from reclaimed timber, with offcuts from the construction process being reused to supply the heat. The flat packed design ensures that the sauna panels are able to be dismantled to allow for future reuse.
As the Yarra River was not in a swimmable state, we built a ‘bucket shower’ on a refurbished diving board on the river bank where guests were able to cool off by dousing themselves theatrically with cold water.
The design of the structure's slanted, extended roof allowed fresh rain water to be captured into a barrel positioned underneath, which was then pumped into the bucket shower system.
The work was exhibited as part of Melbourne Design Week 2020, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV. This project has been longlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2020 in the 'Architecture, Small Building' category.
