Sauna with a Striking View

When the Norwegian municipality of Kongsberg renovated the old industrial area Kongsberg Bruk, they took the opportunity to give Danfo a rather unusual assignment – a sauna with a view of the river.

At this scenic location by the water, there is a Danfo toilet building with an outdoor shower on the side, a barbecue area – and now the new sauna with space for 10 people, changing rooms, showers, and a bathing jetty just below for a refreshing dip in the river. The building is also fully accessible. 

“You have delivered a great sauna facility that will bring joy to many people in Kongsberg and the surrounding area for many years to come. Now that the jetty is finished, the entire facility is complete. We look forward to presenting this wonderful facility to the public!”
Linda van der Spa, Advisor, Kongsberg Municipality

Linda has already tried it out, and it’s fantastic!

“This is our very first sauna, and we are very keen to deliver a building of the highest quality. This is a niche we would like to continue working in, and several potential customers have already shown interest after this sauna opened,” says Roger Karlsen at Danfo.

The response from the public has been immediate. The sauna can be booked via the municipality’s website, and the number of bookings has far exceeded expectations. Thanks to smart technology, the stove is connected to the booking system so that the sauna heats up automatically and is warm and ready when guests arrive, and switches off when not in use. 

“We now hope to create more buildings in this style. Since we at Danfo own our own production, we are also flexible. For example, we can design the sauna section a bit smaller so that WC, sauna, changing rooms, and showers fit into the same building, which lowers the overall cost,” Roger adds.

The sauna is part of Kongsberg municipality’s “urban outdoor life” project, and the view of the river – emphasized through large panoramic windows – was one of the most important aspects during the tender process. Equal attention was given to details such as non-slip flooring, accessibility for all, and ensuring that the sauna meets all requirements for buildings of this type.

   

“This has been a very exciting project, and we have gained a lot of valuable experience,” says Roger.

The concept of “urban outdoor life” is about lowering the threshold to nature and leisure experiences by creating inviting meeting places in urban environments.

In Kongsberg, for instance, the municipality has expanded several outdoor recreation facilities in the area and built walking paths that are accessible even to wheelchair users. The idea is to create meeting places and recreational opportunities that are both attractive and inclusive, with the sauna as a natural part of this overall vision.

At Danfo, we are proud to contribute to this initiative and see it as a valuable step toward developing more buildings that make outdoor recreation simple and inclusive for everyone.