| Solar Egg | |
| Status: | Completed |
| Location: | Luossabacken |
| Location Town: | Kiruna |
| Location Country: |  Sweden |
| Opened Date: | April 2017 |
| Architect: | Bigert & Bergström |
| Building Type: | Sauna |
| Height: | 51NaN1 |
| Other Designers: | Lars Hässler |
| Ren Firm: | Riksbyggen |
Solar Egg is an egg-shaped sauna created by the artist duo Bigert & Bergström for Riksbyggen.[1] The sauna sits perched in Luossabacken in Kiruna. The egg consists of a pine wood interior and a highly reflected gold steel panels.[2] Its 4-meter wide interior can fit up to eight people.[3] while the inside still functions as a normal sauna with a wood-heated heart-shaped stove to keep the room around 80 °C.[4] Illumination comes in the form of LED lightning,[5] which is powered by its sets of batteries.
Beyond its function as a sauna, Solar Egg is essentially a public sculpture developed in collaboration with artist duo Bigert & Bergström.[6] The egg was temporarily moved to the Swedish Institute in central Paris, to draw attention to the Swedish design and visitors were able to experience the sauna first-hand.[7] Solar Egg was recognized with Red Dot awards and German Design Awards as well as being nominated in the London International Awards and the Swedish design awards.[8]
The egg shape seeks to symbolize rebirth and new opportunities at the start of Kiruna's urban transformation, a project that involves the relocation of the entire cities districts in response to ground subsidence caused by decades of iron ore minings.[9]
In Kiruna, Sweden, the entire community is being forced to move due to ground complications caused by a nearby ore mine.[10] The Swedish artist duo Bigert & Bergström was commissioned by Riksbyggen to design commemorative social sculpture for the town after the residents voiced fears of losing community spirit after their relocation.[11] The idea appears to be working, as travel groups are now offering free visits to the Solar Egg.[12]