BoND designs Saint, a dark private sauna in Chelsea, New York

Architecture studio BoND has completed Saint, a private sauna and cold-plunge experience in Chelsea, New York. The 1,100-square-foot space on West 29th Street contains four private 'wellness pods,' each with a dry sauna, cold-plunge bath, shower, and dressing area. BoND organized the layout using 'the logic of a bento box'—interlocking compact volumes defined by material shifts rather than corridors. Lacking natural light, the designers embraced a dark, atmospheric mood, collaborating with EMY After Dark on dramatic lighting. The material palette combines slate, terrazzo, stainless steel, cypress, and walnut, referencing Japanese onsens and Nordic saunas. Co-founders Alex Feldman and Amanda Taylor-Hensen enlisted BoND in 2024 before a site was identified. The studio, founded by Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger, has completed previous store interiors for La Père and PatBo, as well as midcentury home renovations. Photography is by Chris Mottalini.