Onsen at Långholmen Swedish Bathouse Inspired by Japanese Bathing Culture

Onsen At Långholmen Swedish bathouse inspired by Japanese bathing culture Petter Holm Handledare/ Leif Brodersen, Teres Selberg Supervisor Examinator/ Per Franson Examiner Examensarbete inom arkitektur, avancerad nivå 30 hp Degree Project in Architecture, Second Level 30 credits 8 juni 2017 ONSEN AT LÅNGHOLMEN SWEDISH BATHHOUSE INSPIRED BY JAPANESE BATHING CULTURE PETTER HOLM STUDIO #6 SUPERVISORS: TERES SELBERG LEIF BRODERSEN IDEA I also noted that these rituals further enhances the concept of the superficial in contrast to the natural by their similarity with an industrial process. The body becomes a product that is processed or cleansed in different ways in dif- The idea for my Thesis project sprung from a trip I made last June around the ferent rooms, not unlike say a car wash or assembly factory. Fordism in a way. Northernmost of the great Japanese islands, Hokkaido. Due to unexpedtedly These conotations to religion and industry were something that later became rough wheather conditions we had to cancel many of the hikes and climbs that quite important in the design process of the final building. we had planned and instead immerse our bodies and senses in the wonderful onsen culture of Japan. These bathing institutions really lured my architectural interest and especially everything surrounding the actual bathing. The connectivity between architecture and nature, the almost profanely directed rituals, and the special relationship between water, space and materiality was just some of TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE the aspects that originated this project. To create a contemporary bathhouse in Stockholm using the teachings around the onsen and traditional Japanese architecture. Simultaneously I was getting more and more interested in the ways of construct- ing traditional Japanese architecture, mainly by reading the book “Japanese homes and their surroundings” written in 1886 by American architect Edward S. Morse. In the book Morse thouroughly breaks down and explains all the ele- PROCESS ments and pieces of traditional Japanese architecture, both in text and precise sketches. Even though the book is heavily angled towards residential archite- cure I found many interesting components that I could use in my final design, But the process was never a straight one and in the beginning I was more fo- especially the way Japanese houses consists of very typical boundaries and cused on simply what happens when you add water to spaces of different di- shells that control how open or closed the buildings are, and in that loosens and mensions. I did a series of models to investigate how the expression and sens- controls the boundaries and spaces that usually defines where the natural stops ability changed with rooms of different dimensions. and the built space begins. For example instead of a closed wall with small Another notion I worked on intensively in the beginning was the relation- openings (windows, doors, etc.) that permanently decides how much of the ship between architecture and nature. I designed a series of bathing pavilions outside we experience from the inside, and vice versa, the Japanese have their focusing on different ways to approach this connectivity, and placed them in lo- Shoji walls, thin sliding doors of ricepaper on a light wooden frames that forms a cations of natural beauty around Sweden. I found in this research that what was non-permanent, moveable inner boundary. Then they have their straw blinders probably more valid for my final result would be to angle this research towards that gives a visual protection of the inner space but provides little protections the concepts of natural and superficial, something that also has a valid anchor from wind or noise. The third shell is the Amado wall, or “stormwall”, a more in the case studies I later conducted on the onsens I had been to. protective, but still in our western standards thin, boarded wall that you can add The onsen studies was a case study where I mapped up a handful of the to the utmost exterior of the building, outside the engawa, a strip of boards that more interesting onsens I visited in Japan to see the movement flow, room and envelopes most of the building and acts as a thin verandah, in case of rough pool dimensions, and spacial connectivity. Through these studies I could also wheather. The same kind of “undicisive” approach is adopted within the build- verify the directed route through the onsen, First entrance, undressing, washing ing through the arrangement of the inner shoji walls. This creates the option to in the special washing room with low stools along a bench portruding from the completely close the building, but also completely open it. This concept have wall, moving on to the big pool, generally luke warm to then shift between hot been adapted to the upper floor and the more open areas of the lower floor in and cold pools, both indoor and outdoors. It is a procession that has many sim- my final bathhouse. ilarities with the repetition and thouroughness that permeates the Japanese society in general, but the Japanese way to practice religion especially. Both Shin- toism and Buddhism has similar ways of strictly ruled actions in both prayer and meditation. It also gave me a clearer picture of the onsens role in the society, as a social gathering place, and a place of relaxation and spiritual cleanliness as well as bodily. BATHING PAVILIONS FRAMING NJUPESKÄR The waterfall of Njupeskär in northern Dalarna is the tallest free waterfall in Sweden. For this pavil- ilon I choose to approach the site by concept of this waterfall being utterly beutiful and worthy of a nice frame. There are two aqueducts, one at the bottom looking at the spectacular waterfall, and one at the top with an amazing view of the area. They are connected with couloured rocks that are placed in a way so that they connect to eachother in the form of a square if seen from above. The For one part of my research I created a task for idea is strongly inspired by the american landart myself to design a variety of bathing pavilions that art movement in the 60s and 70s and especially were based on some of the aspects that I came the works of Richard long who displaced natural up with during my maping of the connections and irregular elements to form symmetrical composi- differences between the three pillars that the con- tions. cept generation of my project was based on: Ar- chitecture, Body, and Nature. They were all to be The aqueducts themselves are made from two placed in different scenic nature types and the no- metal trusses covered in black concrete, and with tions I choose from my mapping to suit the spe- seating molded into the regular structure. They cific site. stretch wide across both river and pathway. THE TEACUP In the most southern part of Österlen in Skåne there is a cliff that rises 30 meters from the sea. Upon the cliff there are a flat field where cows graze. Upon this field I have placed a pavilion that opens up towards the sky like a parabol. It has to slits down eah side that forms ramps for entry. In the middle there is a concrete mound that cleans and warms the water. upon it you can lay down, the water is just ten centimeters at this point, which makes the body light and gives a sensation of floating. The mound is warm like the central stone of a ham- am and when you lay down you loose your sense of vertical position. The sky is the only thing that you see. Around you is only the soft curves of the parabol, and all the materiality you sense is that of smooth concrete. The experience is even greater during night when the air is cold but the water hot, and you see all of the stars well. SENSORIC EXPERIENCES OF SPATIALITY AND WATER To analyze how spaces are affected when the element of water is added I created a simple task for my self. From a foam that represents no real material I created a series of models that are supposed to analyze how the body is affected by different levels of water in these basic rooms with different dimensions. It is strongly angled to portray what kind of bodily sensoric experience you re- cieve. What dimensions are comfortable and what are not when you add different amounts of water. By having converstions with my classmates I came to the conclusion that there are obvious similarities as to what kind of spaces and what amount of water would be discomfortable, but there were some discrepancies. The next step is to see how this is affected if I add other aspects. Materiality, Wood, concrete, tiles? does any of these Change the way we experience the water and the spatiality. Lighting and windows are also a very important aspect that needs to be studied, and analyzed. Con- nectivity is another aspects. How do these spaces work together and how do I connect them? THE ONSEN my idea was originally formulated from the concept of the Onsen. The traditional Japanese bathhouses that has such a deep part in japanese culture and religion. Stemming from simple hot springs in the rawness of the japanese nature, then evolved through history into cultural institutions, social gathering places, and some- times central points for entire villages and cities. It is a house of cleansing through a number of rituals, but also a house of relaxing, socializing and contemplation. The onsen unlike the sento (onsen in a city, that is not built around a proper hotspring) has a close link to nature.

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