Takanawa SAUNAS

Takanawa SAUNAS is an urban sauna and wellness destination planned and operated by TOYOKE, a wellness company, under the creative direction of Katsuki Tanaka, widely recognized for pioneering Japan’s recent sauna movement. Following the success of Shibuya SAUNAS, the facility is located within NEWoMan Takanawa, a mixed-use commercial complex directly connected to JR Takanawa Gateway Station, comprising approximately 180 shops across 60,000 square meters.Conceived around the idea of “rest and recovery in the city,” the project reinterprets the conventional sauna sequence of heat, cold, and rest as a comprehensive urban retreat. Alongside nine distinctive sauna rooms and generously scaled bathing areas that accommodate a wide variety of retreat programs, the facility incorporates a restaurant, workspaces, nap spaces, and an aroma laboratory, creating an environment where visitors can spend an entire day transitioning naturally between relaxation, work, and recovery.Throughout the design process, every decision was guided by a simple principle: to prioritize physical comfort and respond honestly to the body’s senses. While the overall material palette and custom furnishings inherit the design language established in Shibuya SAUNAS, they have been refined with greater attention to comfort through updated materials and detailing.Custom-designed tables, benches, and other built-in furniture feature softly rounded edges and carefully chamfered profiles, offering a tactile quality that feels gentle and intuitive. In the bathing areas, stone finishes are selected and detailed according to where the body comes into contact with them, balancing texture, thermal comfort, and safety.Beyond touch, the project carefully orchestrates the remaining senses. Aroma diffusers integrated into the HVAC system create distinct olfactory environments for different zones, while acoustically treated nap spaces and a zoned sound system allow each area to maintain its own auditory atmosphere. These sensory environments were developed through close collaboration with specialists in fragrance, acoustics, and environmental design.By thoughtfully shaping all five senses, Takanawa SAUNAS establishes a new model for the urban retreat—a place where people can restore both body and mind within the rhythm of everyday city life.