NOW OPEN · A SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FIRST
SAVUSAUNA(Smoke Sauna)
A return to authentic practice
Wood-fired, breathable, authentic: this is the pursuit of not just good heat, but the best heat.
WHAT IT IS
Sauna, as it was first experienced.
A wood fire burns for hours until the stones glow red-hot and the walls are dark with smoke. Then, the fire is removed, the smoke is vented, the room is wiped clean. What's left is a soft, breathable, enveloping heat.
Nine tonnes of thermal mass hold a deep, even heat and provide the best possible steam (löyly), it's truly something else. The Savu is the first public traditional savusauna in the Southern Hemisphere.
WOOD.
SMOKE.
STONE.
LÖYLY.
- WOOD-FIRED a fire burns for five hours to heat the sauna rocks
- SMOKE-CURED smoke is part of the process, blackening the walls and heating the room before being vented
- THERMAL MASS ≈9T of mass holds a soft, even, breathable heat: 650kg of sauna rocks, 2.2T of total stove mass, 7T of thermal bricks and timber
- THREE YEARS of research and design in collaboration with Dr. Lassi A. Liikkanen, author of The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design
Built to the standard of its Finnish heritage. The first of its kind, open to the public of Australia.
WHY THIS, WHY NOW
A pushback against spa culture.
"Australia is in desperate need of a new sauna culture, and the savusauna is the clearest statement we can make about what that culture looks like."
"For decades, sauna in Australia has been a lukewarm box in a hotel gym, something you do alone. That's not what sauna is. Sauna is a public amenity. It's where you go after work. It's where your kids experience intergenerational connection. It's where the community gathers. It belongs to everyone, every age, every gender, every body." Nikita Miltiadou, co-founder · Founding President, Australian Sauna Association
The wellness industry sells you an escape: a screen, a timer, humanity shut out. The Savu offers the opposite. A return to connection. No timers, no thermometer, no tech. It's not a removal from reality, it's a return to it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
The Savu, in detail.
How is it different from the Aufguss sauna?
The wood-fired heat is gentler and more enveloping than a conventional electric or standard wood-fired sauna, and the smoke-cured timber gives the room a distinct character and aroma. It's a slower, softer, pure bathe.
When can I use the Savu?
Because it takes hours to heat, the Savu fires from 2pm on weekdays and 11am on weekends.
Is it a genuine savusauna?
Yes. The Savu was designed over three years in consultation with Dr. Lassi A. Liikkanen of Aalto University, author of The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design. Careful consideration has gone into five different ventilation points, bench heights, thermal mass, materials choices and more to achieve an authentic and high-quality build standard.
I've never done a smoke sauna. Where do I start?
Our team will introduce you to the sauna, show you how to pour water on the rocks and how to navigate this unique sauna environment.
How do I pour water?
We have a custom sauna ladle, nicknamed "Big Mac" because it looks like a piece of macaroni. The ring on the ladle lets you open the rock hatch, then you pour water slowly and in one spot. This produces a soft steam and doesn't kick up any residual ash in the stone mass. It's best practice to offer löyly as you enter and as you leave, so everyone contributes to the humidity of the room.
Feel the difference.
The Savu fires from 2pm on weekdays and 11am on weekends. The heat naturally tapers off towards the end of the day, creating a more humid bathing experience.
