In honor of National Sauna Week, join us on February 12 for a panel on how American cities can take inspiration from Europe’s sauna movement to embed community health and wellbeing into the heart of public spaces. Moderated by Therme Group US’ Adam Bamba Tanaka, the panel discussion features a pioneer of Norway’s nonprofit sauna movement, a global expert on bathing culture, and a leader in programming New York City’s public realm.
Across European cities — from London to Oslo and beyond — a rapidly growing nonprofit sauna movement is charting a dynamic new model of public health infrastructure: low-priced, high-design public saunas located along waterfronts, rooftops, and public parks. At the center of the story is the Oslo Sauna Association (Oslo Badstuforening), a nonprofit that operates over 25 floating saunas across the Norwegian capital. Supported by a grassroots volunteer operation, these saunas have become beloved pieces of civic infrastructure, social lifelines for a city with long winters and a high proportion of residents who live alone. In 2025, the Oslo Badstuforening was recognized by Time magazine as one of the World’s Great Places.
Drawing on Oslo’s experience, the panel will examine how creative activation of public spaces for community health can support physical and mental wellbeing, strengthen social ties, and make cities more livable year-round. The conversation will also dig into governance and business models, from nonprofit and volunteer-led operations to cooperatives – and what it takes to adapt these approaches to the U.S. context, particularly given rapid growth of the commercial sauna market.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZER
The panel is organized by Culture of Bathe-ing, a global community that celebrates the modern resurgence of communal bathing as a tool for preventative health and a response to growing social isolation within modern urban life. Through its Substack, social channels (IG: @cultureofbathing), and an evolving slate of IRL gatherings, Culture of Bathe-ing convenes enthusiasts, architects, sauna masters, operators, artists, and cultural thinkers who are shaping the future of communal bathing. Culture of Bathe-ing is supported by Therme Group.
Beginning February 12 and running through March 1, 2026, Culture of Bathe-ing will transform Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront into the site of an unprecedented sauna festival. The festival marks the first event of its kind in New York City and the largest sauna village ever staged in the United States.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Ragna Marie Fjeld is the General Manager of the Oslo Sauna Association (Oslo Badstuforening) and helped found the organization in 2016. The association began as an unconventional collaboration between diplomats and anarchists who built a floating sauna out of driftwood. The non-profit association now operates 29 saunas, with 54 employees and 250 volunteers. Driven by the vision of “sauna to the people,” the organization ensures that the fjord and outdoor life remain accessible to everyone. Prior to joining the Oslo Sauna Association, Ragna worked at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Emily Weidenhof is Assistant Commissioner of Public Realm at NYC DOT working closely with community organizations throughout the five boroughs to transform their streets as public space. Emily led on the creation of pandemic response programs to support neighborhoods and businesses citywide including Open Restaurants and Open Streets. Most recently Emily helped evolve Open Streets into a permanent program, helped shepherd the expansion of the Public Space Equity Program, and developed a series of public realm design strategies that have transformed corridors like 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights. Emily is the co-host of Curb Enthusiasm, an NYC DOT podcast, offering unique insight on what’s new, innovative, and exciting in the world of transportation and urban planning.
Mikkel Aaland is a photographer, filmmaker, publisher, author, and internationally known expert on bathing culture. His books include “Sweat,” an illustrated tour of international bathing customs, and the forthcoming “Naked Sweat: The Art and Soul of Sauna, Sweat & Bathhouse Culture.” Aaland is the host of the seven-part documentary series Perfect Sweat and co-founder of The International Sauna Aid Foundation, a multicountry initiative, sponsored by the International Sauna Association (ISA), to provide movable sauna facilities and supportive services to people facing natural and man-made disasters. He is also an honorary member of the International Sauna Association (ISA) and the British Sauna Society and a founding member of the Norwegian Sauna Association (Badstulaug). Aaland is based in San Francisco and Ulefoss, Norway.
Adam Bamba Tanaka serves as Chief Operating Officer for Therme Group US, bridging the worlds of wellness, entertainment, and urban development to deliver large-scale wellbeing destinations in cities across the US. Prior to joining Therme, Adam worked at real estate consultancy HR&A Advisors, where he advised city governments, universities, and tech companies on major planning and development projects. Adam holds a PhD in urban planning from Harvard and has published writing and filmmaking projects in The Boston Globe, Bloomberg CityLab, Slate, and The Journal of Urban History, among others. Adam also serves on the board of play:groundNYC, a nonprofit that operates New York City’s only adventure playground on Governors Island.
Image credits:
Oslo Badstuforening. Visit Norway.