schemata architects ℃ capsule hotel combines micro-living with a unique sauna experience

adding to its nine hour capsule hotel franchise, the schemata architects-designed °C — literally meaning degrees celsius and pronounced ‘doe-shi’ — offers a unique sauna experience along with its micro-lodging. following the authentic finnish tradition of ‘löyly’, literally meaning the heat of the sauna, visitors can enjoy a warm steam bath by throwing mint-scented water on the hot rocks in a controlled room temperature of 90℃. additionally, warm pillar showers are installed as a means to cool off after the sauna, where visitors can choose between 15℃, 20℃, 25℃, 30℃ depending on their preferences.

along with the ability to revitalize, saunas are said to offer various health benefits including treating fatigue

℃‘s procedure is simple: check-in, put your belongings in a locker, use the sauna, and enjoy a restful night in the sleeping pods. however, stays at the schemata-designed °C can be as short as just one hour and the facility is open 24 hours a day. moreover, there are 102 rooms for men and 60 for women as well as separate saunas. use of the sauna costs ¥1,000 ($9) for the first hour and then a further ¥500 ($4.5) per subsequent hour. if visitors want to take a nap, they can use the facility for ¥1,500 ($13) for the first hour and then ¥500 ($4.5) per hour after that. 

the design aims to eradicate the image of the old capsule hotel, a compact an inexpensive way of lodging in japan. the architects intentionally used the color of the existing capsules–– an old-fashioned beige reminiscent of the retro design period –– as the base for the rest of the interior, in a bid to eradicate its impression. originally the building was not equipped with saunas but to honour their typical state further, schemata recreated the stereotypical image by adding them establishing a powerful combination of capsules and saunas representing the identity of ℃. 

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