Wool Sauna at Ziedlejas Wellness Resort | Open Architecture Design

The Wool Sauna sauna is the only of its kind in Latvia. As the latest addition to the growing Ziedlejas, it is an intrinsic part of the resort but also self-sufficient. The stilted building stands on a hilltop at a distance from other saunas and the overnight cabins. Guests access the Wool Sauna via a wooden walkway, which is not just a means to get from A to B. The winding path encourages introspection and helps enter the right mindset before the ritual.
 
Concealed in the black timber facade is a yurt-like canvas structure - the actual sauna room – which was bought as a ready-made facility. Open AD was tasked with “dressing” it and tying it in with the Ziedlejas story.
 
The walkway leads into the 67 m2 wooden structure. Here, bespoke furniture assists in getting ready, storing clothes and personal items without creating clutter. At every step of the way Open AD considered the comfort of saunagoers and the sauna masters who facilitate the experience. Where possible, the architecture and design team introduced elements to enhance the ritual. For example, during breaks from the heat guests can lie on a giant outdoor hammock breathing in the forest air. Since there is no natural body of water nearby, Open AD introduced a plunge pool within metres of the sauna room.
 
Inside the sauna room, the walls are clad in wool, which is a borrowed tradition not typical of Latvia. When hot, the wool releases lanolin, which is said to have healing properties. Because of this additional dimension, the room is round, centred around a wood stove. Again, custom furniture answers to guests’ and sauna masters’ needs during the body and mind cleansing ritual.
 
The Wool Sauna’s material palette of wood, concrete, metal, and natural fabrics connects it to the other parts of Ziedlejas – its overnight cabins, the Glass Sauna and Smoke Sauna buildings. The resort is a work in progress but has the long-term goal of becoming a self-sufficient destination. It is founded and designed with the idea to encourage rest, rejuvenation, and guests’ connection to themselves, loved ones and their surroundings.
 
Team: Zane Tetere – Sulce, Beatrise Dzerve

Construction: Valdis Stepanovics, Kaspars Strazdins
 
Suppliers: Kadiki ARV (sauna stove), Priezavoti (timber), Tikkurila (paints), Karuzo (wood details), Lidulula Ceramics (accessories), Archouses (furniture)