Forget everything you thought you knew about escaping the city bustle. Shayna Olsan and Luke Carstens, founders of Akari Sauna House, have brought a “wellness oasis” to the heart of Brooklyn. Designed by Stroop Design, this quiet retreat offers a welcome reprieve from the Big Apple’s signature buzz, inviting guests to embrace stillness and de-stress.
Vince Stroop, founder of Stroop Design, says Akari was created as an “abstracted translation of Japanese bathing traditions into a contemporary urban context,” with a focus on design that supports “ritual, presence and restoration.”
While the exterior echoes New York’s signature hustle, the interior whispers calm. It’s a dedicated space designed to slow the body and heighten the senses. Guests are asked to remove their shoes upon entry — a simple ritual that signals the outside world has been left behind. “For the most part, it’s a no phone, introspective, quiet experience,” says Shayna Olsan, co-founder of Akari. “It’s really their sacred time to rest and take a break in their lives, and we always want to protect that as much as we can.”
Every element is designed for relaxation; patrons pass through a traditional blue noren fabric divider into private changing and locker areas that evoke Japanese rice paper screens. Ash wood lines the interior, creating a visual flow that mirrors water and draws visitors into the bathing ritual ahead. The material palette is simple yet striking: warm wood, slate-gray stone and a mosaic of vibrant matcha-green tile.
The sauna house centers on three core experiences for the ultimate wellness journey. The sauna itself is divided into two distinct rooms, each offering a different atmosphere. One is smaller and darker, ideal for quiet contemplation as guests steam and unwind. The other provides a more social contrast, larger in scale and illuminated by a skylight.
Once the heat has done its work, the experience continues downstairs. Wood-paneled showers offer a moment of cool respite, washing away the heat before guests brave the cold experience cove — a plunge pool sized for two.
To round out the experience, the tea lounges offer cozy spaces for relaxation, meditation or quiet conversation between sessions. The design is minimal yet texturally rich and blissfully free of visual clutter, allowing the mind to unwind alongside the body.
The pursuit for inner peace through saunas has taken New York by storm, with new spots continuing to emerge across the city. Akari plans to open a third location later this year, proving this trend is far from slowing down. As Carstens told Dezeen, “We want it to look like our voice has been carried through. Not just in the design, but also the work itself.”
Whether you’re looking to hit pause on your day-to-day or immerse yourself in an urban haven inspired by Japanese bathing traditions, an Akari location may be your next great escape.
