Architecture studio BoND has used "the logic of a bento box" to organise spaces within a compact, atmospheric sauna in Chelsea, New York.
BoND was enlisted to design the interiors and identity for Saint by co-founders Alex Feldman and Amanda Taylor-Hensen in 2024, even before a site was identified.
Now open on West 29th Street, the private sauna and cold-plunge experience offers space for relaxation and contemplation that feels entirely removed from the busy city.
"From the outset, the vision was clear: a place of genuine quiet, with the warmth and ease of a residential interior rather than the clinical remove of a typical wellness environment," said the team.
The 1,100-square-foot (102-square-metre) plan encompasses four private "wellness pods", which each include a dry sauna, cold-plunge bath, shower and dressing area.
A lobby, restroom and back-of-house space complete the layout, which BoND approached "with the the logic of a bento box: a series of interlocking, highly compact volumes whose boundaries are defined by material shifts rather than wasted corridor space".
"The result is a sequence that feels intimate and considered rather than constrained," the team added.
The space has no access to natural light, so the designers embraced the dark, atmospheric conditions and worked with EMY After Dark to create a dramatic lighting scheme.
The interiors combine references from Japanese onsens and Nordic saunas, using a "dark and enveloping" material palette of slate, terrazzo, stainless steel, cypress and walnut.
Slate tiles wrap the wet areas, their texture highlighted by a single horizontal light hidden above the rectangular plunge tubs.
Several terrazzo variations form monolithic floating vanities and cover floors, while fritted glass partitions create blurred silhouettes and shadow interplays.
Pale-grained and naturally fragrant cypress lines the sauna interiors, while walnut brings a "residential warmth" to the dressing areas.
"Of all the spaces within the pods, the dressing areas are among the most quietly accomplished: moments of genuine architectural care that give guests a place to gather themselves before returning to the city," the team said.
Founded by Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger, BoND has completed a variety commercial and residential projects across New York City, nearby Fire Island and beyond.
The studio's store interiors include spaces for brands La Père and PatBo, while its midcentury home renovations range from a Sears Catalog kit house to a residence designed by modernist architect Harry Bates.
Sauna and bathing culture in New York City has seen a major boom in the past few years, and several new spots with dramatically diverse interiors are now available for wellness enthusiasts.
Examples include the futuristic Othership in Flatiron, the industrial Bathhouse in Williamsburg and the traditional Japanese-style Akari in Greenpoint – see more in our recent roundup here.
The photography is by Chris Mottalini.