What came first the chicken or the egg? Behind this recurring question lies the inspiration of the Swedish artist duo Mats Bigert and Lars Bergstrom to create Solar Egg, an egg-shaped sauna that constitutes a unique experiment in social architecture.
Solar Egg "reflects the city and at the same time contains the minds of its citizens", its creators comment to Traveler.es
“It is a primordial form and a perfect vessel for the activities of life. And it's a great place to a laboratory where very interesting ideas can be born”, they add.
The Swedish city of Björkliden has been one of the scenarios through which Solar Egg has passed
Solar Egg was commissioned to study ** Bigert & Bergström ** by the Riksbyggen company on the occasion of the start of the urban transformation of the city of Kiruna (Sweden) .
Since April 2017, the sauna has passed through cities such as Björkliden (250 km from the Arctic Circle), **Paris, Stockholm, Gällivare** (in Swedish Lapland) **and Copenhagen. **
Solar Egg in the woods of Stockholm
A TRAVELING GOLDEN EGG
“The golden egg is a mythical object and a symbol of courage. Also, it is a metaphor for the sun. The name of Solar Egg comes from the idea of the reflection of the sun's rays and the sun's heat”, Bigert & Bergström told Traveler.es.
In fact, the reflections that originate are very warm and bright when the king star shines, "enough to melt the snow around the sauna”, they add.
Solar Egg was conceived to be at the same time a traveling art piece and a fully functional public sauna. "Hence, you can participate in different projects that reflect new urban challenges" comment the creators.
And they continue: “The egg extends the idea of a city in motion, like the arctic city of Kiruna. An interactive piece of architecture, Solar Egg reflects the environment while housing people's thoughts and feelings."
Solar Egg as it passes through the French capital
“IN THE SAUNA WE ARE ALL THE SAME”
“Our ambition is meet unknown people and create conversations between them, which is usually the case in public saunas”, comment the creators of Solar Egg.
Under the premise that in the sauna we are all equal, Bigert & Bergström explain that “When people undress, they free themselves from their 'civilian' disguise, which often describes your personal interests and social status (clothes, watches, mobile phones)”
“In the sauna you have to speak with a person to get an idea of who it can be”, they conclude.
The interior of Solar Egg, with capacity for eight people
A VERY DECORATED EGG
The collaboration of Riksbyggen and Bigert & Bergström has been rewards gives with several prizes among which are the Swedish Arts & Business Awards (2018), Red Dot Award (2017), Stålbyggnadspriset Y German Design Award (2017), a silver medal at the Swedish Design Award and the London International Award.
Bigert and Bergström have a long-standing fascination with The relationship of the human being with nature, energy and technology. In 1998, they designed a climatic chamber for the World Expo in Lisbon in 1998.
In 2015, covered the highest mountain peak in Sweden, Kebnekaise, with an insulating layer to examine whether geoengineering could help stop glacial melting. And in 2017 his solar egg arrived.
The egg sauna in Gällivare (Sweden)
IN FIGURES
Solar Egg is 4.5 meters tall, 12.6 meters in circumference and weighs 2,750 kilos. In its construction were used 69 gilt steel plates and 1,512 screws, whose assembly takes approximately 4 to 5 days.
The iron stove of its interior, of 750 kilos, has heart shape and around it they can stay comfortably up to eight people.
Their temperature? Between 75 and 85 degrees centigrade.
Who does a sauna do?
SOLAR ENERGY: A RAY OF HOPE
“We live in a very decisive moment since climate change is the hottest potato today,” comment Bigert & Bergström.
According to the creators of Solar Egg, the market points to a huge updraft for renewable energy.
"Suddenly, Solar power has become the cheapest way to get electricity. When countries like the United Arab Emirates give up oil or India gives up coal for solar energy, there is a nice ray of hope on the horizon, ”they say.
Solar Egg uses wood to generate heat since it would take about 150 square meters of solar cells to heat it, which is practically impossible. "But the interior lighting is obtained thanks to a small solar panel," they point out.
Bigert & Bergstrom
WHERE IS SOLAR EGG RIGHT NOW?
From last October 12 and until next January 19, Solar Egg can be visited at the courtyard of the Kunsthal Charlottenborg museum, in Copenhagen, coinciding with the Big Art exhibition (until January 31).
Book **here** your sauna session!
It is an egg? Is it a pear? Nope! It's a sauna!