disused japanese bus gets a second life as mobile sauna

JAPANESE SAUNA BUS TO START SERVICE IN 2022

‘sabus’ is an unusual yet oddly appealing project to transform a disused bus into a fully-fledged wood-burning sauna. the japanese project aims to give new life to this old suburban means of transport. while the exterior remains true to the bus’s previous use, the designers have completely changed the structure of the inner area, which consists of a resting space that retains some of the old atmosphere, a sauna room with a wooden stove, and a front office space that was once the driver’s seat.

the first vehicle-turned-sauna will be a fixed-route bus from the hyogo prefecture. it is scheduled to start service in february 2022. in the meantime, here are some renders of what the sauna will look like.

the bus resting space, with the hanging rings.

PRESS TO STEAM UP

inside this mobile sauna you can find items belonging to the bus’s previous use. those details include the bench seats, the leather hanging rings which you can hold onto while enjoying a beneficial warm bath, and a functioning get-off button that, when pressed, activates sprinkles of water on the heated sauna stone, thus steaming up the bus.

the sauna room with benches that recall regular buses.

images courtesy of sabus.jp

the old interior.

images courtesy of sabus.jp

the get-off button, when pressed, activates sprinkles of water on the heated sauna stone.

project info:

project: sabus

planning: sauna ikitai

interior design: nod and  ostr

stove installation: totonou