Stockholm, a city that loves saunas, is taking a big step towards making this popular activity more accessible to its residents and visitors. The city's first publicly run sauna will open in June, with a mission to bring "sauna for all". This move responds to the current situation where popular saunas have years-long waiting lists, and non-members often struggle to get a spot. They don't have an easy time getting in, and it's a problem the city wants to solve.

The new facility, located in Hornstull, a water-facing neighborhood in Södermalm, is a pilot project that aims to provide a membership-free sauna experience. It's a project that costs 5.5 million Swedish kronor (£436,573), and it was born out of a desire to move away from the prevailing model of "sauna for the few". Pia Karlsson, the project manager from the City of Stockholm's transport office, says the goal is to create a sauna that's "100% accessible, so no membership - it's accessible to the city's residents and our guests". They're trying to make it easy for everyone to get in.

The Swedish capital has relatively clean water, an ideal geographical setup, and plenty of willing customers for bada bastu - the Swedish term for bathing and having a sauna. However, the city hasn't capitalized on the demand for accessible quayside saunas yet. Many saunas are privately owned by member associations or individuals, and the scarcity of public saunas is noticeable when compared to other Nordic cities. In Oslo, for example, it's relatively easy to get a same-day sauna spot at one of the seven Oslo Sauna Association floating saunas. The city hasn't been able to offer that yet, but it's changing.

The new sauna in Stockholm will be located on a site that used to be home to Liljeholmsbadet, a 1930s floating public bathhouse that was removed last year after falling into disrepair. The city is also building a sauna jetty that will be open to non-sauna-goers. The new building, designed by architect Dinell Johansson and built by Marinbastun, takes inspiration from the city's historic painted wooden water pavilions. It's going to be a unique spot, and the city is excited about it.

"A thought that we had with us from the political mission was sauna for all and a place for everybody. We are a public pontoon and a public space on public land. We wanted that to permeate the site," said Pia Karlsson. She believes it's a great opportunity for the city to offer something new.

The vision for Stockholm's public sauna is part of a broader vision to open up the city's waterfronts, including new areas for swimming, walkways, and seating areas. The city is planning new guidelines that will require all sauna slots in the city center to be fully publicly available to book. Some sauna associations have criticized the new booking rules, saying they could make it difficult to maintain the old membership model. Pia Karlsson believes that the city and privately-run models "complement one another", and they won't hurt each other. They can work together, and that's what the city is hoping for.

Mathias Leveborn, from Sthlm Sauna, which has a waiting list of 20,000 for membership across its saunas, welcomes the move, saying "it's great that Stockholm is finally starting to catch up with other Nordic countries. Basically, diversity is good - it's what the city needs". Svante Spolander, operations manager at the Swedish Sauna Academy, also sees the positive side, saying "interest in sauna has increased markedly in Sweden in recent years, and people have to wait a long time for access to a sauna bathhouse. So, it's very positive that more places are being built so that more people can benefit". They're both happy to see the city making a change.

The new sauna in Stockholm will charge 150 kronor (£12) for 90 minutes, which is more expensive than guest sessions at many privately-run saunas. Initially, everybody will pay the same rate, but the city plans to look at different pricing structures for students and pensioners once they have a sense of demand. They'll see how it goes, and then they'll make some changes. They don't want to make it too expensive for some people, so they'll try to find a balance.

  • The new sauna will be located in Hornstull, a water-facing neighborhood in Södermalm.
  • The project costs 5.5 million Swedish kronor (£436,573).
  • The sauna will be membership-free and open to all.
  • The city is also building a sauna jetty that will be open to non-sauna-goers.
  • The new booking rules will require all sauna slots in the city center to be fully publicly available to book.