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The sauna’s open side allows natural or ambient light to flood the space / photo: KLAFS
Klafs – founded in 1928 – has been creating market-leading sauna spaces, to benefit the body and soul, across the globe ever since founder, Erich Klafs, made the company’s first sauna in 1952.
Its recent collaboration with design agency Studio F. A. Porsche has set new standards in international sauna design, resulting in the new S11 sauna that combines novel design with exceptional functionality.
Klafs’ vision for the collaboration was to create an iconically-designed classic that’s an oasis of deep relaxation and fascinates people with its unique aesthetics for decades to come.
The two industry leaders have combined their design and functionality expertise to recreate the traditional sauna experience by incorporating stylish design principles, using high-quality materials and craft, with the natural stimuli of warmth, light, colour and sound to create a holistic wellness experience that fits perfectly with the user’s need for deep relaxation.
Feel-good design Using design techniques, which are said to be a first in sauna design, the aesthetic of the S11 sauna has been created by using rounded elements that create a flowing transition between the benches, walls and hidden technology.
The cabin has an open-plan aspect to allow natural light into the sauna. The inner walls that run along three sides feature ornamental, horizontal wooden slats, set at precise angles that give a ‘floating’ illusion to the cabin’s wooden structure. Semi-transparent walls are made from traditional Japanese Washi paper and a frameless glass front offers an elegant, spacious feel.
The illusion of free-floating benches inside the cabin – which are available straight or angled, in Hemlock or Obeche – combine with Klafs’ sound technology to convey a feeling of warmth, space and depth, while the colour gradients and light are softly refracted to give the cabin a magical glow.
“From every angle, the combination of carefully dimensioned wooden slats, the rounded wall edges and the washi paper invite you to let your gaze wander into the distance,” Klafs MD, Phillip Rock, explains. “This creates a calm and relaxing atmosphere, combined with a visual and acoustic experience, which allows users to completely withdraw into the world of wellbeing.”
Light and sound Sauna users can create their own mood-enhancing experiences by choosing between automatic programmes [ceremonies], based on sensual aspects of nature.
These ceremonies include: Pulses of Nature (rays of sunlight shimmering through treetops); Magic Blue Sea (gentle waves moving rhythmically to the sound of the sea); Night and Light (gentle relaxation from the blue to the golden hour); or Relaxing Amber (a warm, pulsating, sensory journey) and Colourful Senses (an experience full of exotic colours).
Studio F. A. Porsche senior designer, Adam Bieta, says these “light and sound sequences allow the user to relax in their own dissolving sense of space”.
Exclusive additions
• The S11 sauna is available as a freestanding version, which includes a champagne-coloured outer wall, or as a custom-made, built-in version.
• Only 999 S11 exclusive saunas are available. An edition number is displayed on each unit.
• Matching Studio F. A. Porsche S11 accessories include the NOOA sauna infusion set with bucket and ladle and the NOOA pendant lamp.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2023 issue 3
Editor's letter: Reflection point
As Spa Business celebrates its 20th birthday, Katie Barnes pauses for thought and rejoices in the industry’s evolution
Spa People: 20th anniversary issue: Anna Bjurstam
The strategic senior advisor at Six Senses and Raison d'Etre on being initiated as a shaman, why psychedelics are here to stay and her bigger fear for the global spa industry
Promotion: Klafs: Relax into wellbeing
Klafs and Studio F. A. Porsche have combined their design and wellness expertise to create an oasis for total-body relaxation
News report: Eastern promise
Japan’s spa industry is valued at US$4.2 billion and is part of the world's third highest-performing wellness economy
Jeremy McCarthy: Theory of evolution
From spa to wellness and now leisure – Spa Business’ contributing editor looks at where hospitality experiences are heading
Promotion: Lemi: Built to last
Lemi is committed to leading with innovation to create
cutting-edge treatment room solutions that excel
in terms of performance and eco-credentials
Promotion: G.M. COLLIN: Collagen pioneers
GM Collin’s expertise in collagen research and product formulation has resulted in the creation of a new serum that combats age-related skin degeneration
Promotion: Comfort Zone: A brighter future
Consumers are increasingly interested in reducing dark spots and hyperpigmentation and a new line from Comfort Zone has been launched to address this emerging need
Promotion: Art of Cryo: Life changing experience
Vikki and Robbie are often exhausted after work. A visit to the spa to experience
the Art of Cryo Tech-Spa Module is a chance to re-set and rejuvenate together
In a world where imbalance often accumulates quietly, Wildsmith unveils its newest
wellbeing innovation: Silent Loads, an approach designed to meet the needs of modern spa
guests with precision and depth. [more...]
The sauna’s open side allows natural or ambient light to flood the space / photo: KLAFS
Klafs – founded in 1928 – has been creating market-leading sauna spaces, to benefit the body and soul, across the globe ever since founder, Erich Klafs, made the company’s first sauna in 1952.
Its recent collaboration with design agency Studio F. A. Porsche has set new standards in international sauna design, resulting in the new S11 sauna that combines novel design with exceptional functionality.
Klafs’ vision for the collaboration was to create an iconically-designed classic that’s an oasis of deep relaxation and fascinates people with its unique aesthetics for decades to come.
The two industry leaders have combined their design and functionality expertise to recreate the traditional sauna experience by incorporating stylish design principles, using high-quality materials and craft, with the natural stimuli of warmth, light, colour and sound to create a holistic wellness experience that fits perfectly with the user’s need for deep relaxation.
Feel-good design Using design techniques, which are said to be a first in sauna design, the aesthetic of the S11 sauna has been created by using rounded elements that create a flowing transition between the benches, walls and hidden technology.
The cabin has an open-plan aspect to allow natural light into the sauna. The inner walls that run along three sides feature ornamental, horizontal wooden slats, set at precise angles that give a ‘floating’ illusion to the cabin’s wooden structure. Semi-transparent walls are made from traditional Japanese Washi paper and a frameless glass front offers an elegant, spacious feel.
The illusion of free-floating benches inside the cabin – which are available straight or angled, in Hemlock or Obeche – combine with Klafs’ sound technology to convey a feeling of warmth, space and depth, while the colour gradients and light are softly refracted to give the cabin a magical glow.
“From every angle, the combination of carefully dimensioned wooden slats, the rounded wall edges and the washi paper invite you to let your gaze wander into the distance,” Klafs MD, Phillip Rock, explains. “This creates a calm and relaxing atmosphere, combined with a visual and acoustic experience, which allows users to completely withdraw into the world of wellbeing.”
Light and sound Sauna users can create their own mood-enhancing experiences by choosing between automatic programmes [ceremonies], based on sensual aspects of nature.
These ceremonies include: Pulses of Nature (rays of sunlight shimmering through treetops); Magic Blue Sea (gentle waves moving rhythmically to the sound of the sea); Night and Light (gentle relaxation from the blue to the golden hour); or Relaxing Amber (a warm, pulsating, sensory journey) and Colourful Senses (an experience full of exotic colours).
Studio F. A. Porsche senior designer, Adam Bieta, says these “light and sound sequences allow the user to relax in their own dissolving sense of space”.
Exclusive additions
• The S11 sauna is available as a freestanding version, which includes a champagne-coloured outer wall, or as a custom-made, built-in version.
• Only 999 S11 exclusive saunas are available. An edition number is displayed on each unit.
• Matching Studio F. A. Porsche S11 accessories include the NOOA sauna infusion set with bucket and ladle and the NOOA pendant lamp.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2023 issue 3
Editor's letter: Reflection point
As Spa Business celebrates its 20th birthday, Katie Barnes pauses for thought and rejoices in the industry’s evolution
Spa People: 20th anniversary issue: Anna Bjurstam
The strategic senior advisor at Six Senses and Raison d'Etre on being initiated as a shaman, why psychedelics are here to stay and her bigger fear for the global spa industry
Promotion: Klafs: Relax into wellbeing
Klafs and Studio F. A. Porsche have combined their design and wellness expertise to create an oasis for total-body relaxation
News report: Eastern promise
Japan’s spa industry is valued at US$4.2 billion and is part of the world's third highest-performing wellness economy
Jeremy McCarthy: Theory of evolution
From spa to wellness and now leisure – Spa Business’ contributing editor looks at where hospitality experiences are heading
Promotion: Lemi: Built to last
Lemi is committed to leading with innovation to create
cutting-edge treatment room solutions that excel
in terms of performance and eco-credentials
Promotion: G.M. COLLIN: Collagen pioneers
GM Collin’s expertise in collagen research and product formulation has resulted in the creation of a new serum that combats age-related skin degeneration
Promotion: Comfort Zone: A brighter future
Consumers are increasingly interested in reducing dark spots and hyperpigmentation and a new line from Comfort Zone has been launched to address this emerging need
Promotion: Art of Cryo: Life changing experience
Vikki and Robbie are often exhausted after work. A visit to the spa to experience
the Art of Cryo Tech-Spa Module is a chance to re-set and rejuvenate together
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
In a world where imbalance often accumulates quietly, Wildsmith unveils its newest
wellbeing innovation: Silent Loads, an approach designed to meet the needs of modern spa
guests with precision and depth. [more...]
