Exhibition design, Kellenberger-White in Zaha Hadid Architects' Roca London Gallery
 

Fixtures made from clay and wood brought the materiality of the bathhouse to life
 

An archive explored the history of bathing from the Roman thermae to the Islamic hamam
 

Soak, Steam, Dream: Reinventing Bathing Culture, Roca London Gallery, 2016 – 2017 

Commissioned by Roca as part of their architecture and design programme, the exhibition Soak, Steam, Dream: Reinventing Bathing Culture charted the emergence of a new bathhouse culture – and the connection between the physical and social aspects of bathing – through a series of contemporary bathing projects and an archive exploring ancient bathing rituals. Designed by Kellenberger-White, the installation helped materialise the pagan and sensorial aspects of bathing and water cultures.

Photography Thomas Adank

Roca London Gallery

Archive of publications by bathing aficionado Leonard Koren
 

 

Wet: the Magazine of Gourmet Bathing, Leonard Koren
 

 
 

The first theme, Soak, displayed on fixtures made of clay
 

 

Soak explored the history of thermal springs and contemporary interpretations, Therme Vals and Termas Geometricas
 

 

Japanese onsen: Kogohi Bathhouse, Kengo Kuma & Associates; Lamune Onsen, Terunobu Fujimori
 

One of 3 themes in the exhibition, Steam explored the history and reinvention of the sauna on a table made from Douglas Fir

 

Here Alvar Aalto can be seen in front of his smoke sauna, 1960s
 

 

Gotenburg Bathing Culture, Raumlabor
 

Dream, the final theme displayed Spa Rules by Something & Son
 

The Soak, Steam, Dream catalogue