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Bigert & Bergström's Crystal Sauna Rises from Remediated Industrial Site in Sweden

architecture-design · 2026-06-24

The Lithium Crystal Sauna, designed by the Stockholm-based artistic team Bigert & Bergström, has been finalized at a rehabilitated industrial location in Skellefteå, Sweden. This marks the inaugural permanent installation for WasteLand Climate Action Park, revitalizing a site that underwent 17 years of soil cleanup. The sauna, which boasts a pink, crystal-like appearance, is covered in mirrored stainless steel with a pink titanium finish and incorporates around 280 prisms, tilting backward at a four-degree angle. It rests on a hexagonal deck made from local heartwood pine. Powered by a unique battery-operated heater containing 260 kilograms of olivine stones, it utilizes stored green electricity and can host up to 12 individuals as a piece of social art. Photography credits go to Pär Olofsson.

Key facts

  • Bigert & Bergström created the Lithium Crystal Sauna in Skellefteå, northern Sweden.
  • It is the first permanent structure for WasteLand Climate Action Park.
  • The site was formerly the Scharin industrial site, polluted by pulp production for over a century.
  • The site underwent 17 years of soil remediation before becoming a public park.
  • The sauna is clad in pink titanium-coated mirrored stainless steel with about 280 prisms.
  • It is designed to resemble an enlarged lithium crystal, referencing battery technology and the green transition.
  • The sauna leans backwards at four degrees and sits on a hexagonal wooden deck of local heartwood pine.
  • The custom-built heater uses 260 kilograms of olivine stones and is clad in black flint from Normandy.

Entities

Artists

  • Bigert & Bergström

Institutions

  • WasteLand Climate Action Park
  • Dezeen
  • Skellefteå Municipality
  • Society Expo 2026
  • Nordmark & Nordmark Architects
  • WasteLand
  • WasteLand – Climate Action Park
  • AB Scharins Söner

Locations

  • Stockholm
  • Sweden
  • Skellefteå
  • Västerbotten
  • Normandy
  • Skellefte River
  • Kiruna
  • Rift Valley

Sources