Description of project by Sandellsandberg Arkitekter
Big Branzino is a floating sauna designed by Thomas Sandell and Johan Strandlund. With its distinctive shape as a guiding light, it is designed to enjoy saunas and entertain guests with the magical nature of the archipelago. With a top speed of five knots, bays and islands can be explored, and the view is constantly changing.
The lowest point of the arch shape creates a sense of presence and closeness to the fire within the sauna, and then rises to reveal the starry sky. In the center is the sauna room and the heart is the specially designed forged stove in wrought iron and glass. The glass in all directions makes the fire shine throughout the interior. A greater spectacle is how the fire is also visible externally to its surroundings, where the glow can play against the reflection of the waves.
Big Branzino by Sandellsandberg Arkitekter. Photograph by Filip Gränström.
The Big Branzino was handcrafted by master carpenter Leif Persson at the Kungsör shipyard, and the entire process was infused with craftsmanship. Its steel frame houses hidden storage below the deck. The construction is covered in wood, pine treated with linseed oil on the outside, to blend with nature, and the interior with cedar wood. Even the rooftop furniture is cedar, where the table can be folded with brass pulls to make room for dancing.
All steering and navigation meets on a cedar podium on the foredeck. Not to reveal the mystery, all modern navigation equipment is hidden behind a specially designed cylindrical lid made of brass.
At dusk, the lighting can be dimmed sequentially so as not to compete with the fire and starry sky. The interior of the roof terrace has hidden LED lighting at the top of the wall, so as not to dazzle the fantastic view.
