Located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle at Sweden’s northernmost point lies the 117 year old city of Kiruna, a locale long famed for its indigenous Sami culture, northern lights, midnight summer sun, and largest iron ore deposits in the world. For all its natural riches, over a century of mining has left Kiruna on shaky ground – quite literally – leaving it with such compromised foundations that buildings are beginning to crack and collapse. In response to this industry induced crumbling, entire city districts are being razed and rebuilt two miles to the east – all on the the local LKAB mining company’s dime. It’s a fascinating case study in overzealous resource collection resulting in urban planning opportunity; one that Riksbyggen development company is shedding a positive light on, with a commissioned work of art designed to mark the city’s coming rebirth…

TAPPED FOR… the design, award winning artists Mats Bigert and Lars Bergström honed in on the concept of rebirth to create SOLAR EGG. The five meter high, four meter wide public sauna / art installation is comprised of 69 gold-plated stainless steel facets, each carefully designed to reflect the city and its arctic surrounds.

THE SAUNA… aspect of the installation taps into the city’s historical sauna traditions, while providing a gathering space to encourage community, interaction, and conversation. The heat for the 8 person enclave is aptly provided by heart shaped wood burner.

AS THE CITY… of Kiruna embarks upon its unique urban transformation, Bigert & Bergström’s jewel-of-a-community-incubator will travel throughout, inviting residents and tourists alike to book a toasty visit – where they can literally and figuratively gather and reflect upon this northern city’s fascinating past, present, and future.

Photography by Jean-Baptiste Béranger.