Hearth

Siddharth Bagga

I have been in Glasgow for about four months now and “heat” is all I have been following. I am walking on the sunny side of the road even if that means taking more time to reach the destination. I plan my “going out” work according the weather app. Spontaneous plans to see a friend come up when the sun comes out. The general serotonin level inside me shoots up when I “see the heat” (sunlight) and I experienced this phenomenon on a wider scale early in September when I was in the Kelvingrove Park on my way to Glasgow University. Being from Delhi, Glasgow is pretty sparsely populated from my standards, but that day I saw the most amount of people I have seen together at a place, in this city. There were people in the skate park, kids with their parents in the sand pit, and a sea of people on the sunny side of a dwarfed hill, basking under the glorious sun. It became an “event” – Food trucks sold more wraps and bagels, more cars were on the road, more people waiting for the bus, more people walking on the street. It hit me that day how “entertaining” heat is.

Amusement

My personal association between heat/warmth and positive responses of amusement also has some theoretical grounds. Studies have demonstrated that warmth is linked to positive emotions and interpersonal warmth. Williams & Bargh (2008), in a study they held, found that briefly holding a hot beverage led participants to judge others as having warmer personalities. These findings indicate a link between physical and interpersonal warmth. This thermal-emotional connection extends beyond interpersonal interactions and mental processes, and also influences physical perceptions (Penny Bergman, 2015). These relations can further be observed in typologies like Saunas and Baths (I. Heinonen, 2018).

Catharsis

When seen in conjunction with the thermal-emotional relation established in the extrapolation of the definition of amusement and heat combined with catharsis give rise to idea of Saunas. Sauna therapy uses varied exposure to a range of temperature changes to ultimately act as a valuable tool for the cleansing of the human body and mind (Peräsalo, 1988). Further, catharsis is achieved by the means of a catalyst which in most cases is art which triggers an extreme change in emotions. Performance art can elicit cathartic responses from the audience (Wheeler, 1997).

Aufguss

Aufguss is a phenomenological experience. The participants narrow their focus and immerse themselves in a specific heat-related moment inside the sauna (Tim Moesgen, 2024). Aufguss (German) in different cultures this ritual takes different names – Löyly in Finnish, Neppashi in Japanese and Banyas in Russian. The German word literally translates in English to “infusion” or in the sauna, the “pouring of water over hot coals. It much more than the sauna master just pouring water onto hot stones and raising the heat by swirling a towel. The sauna-masters’ rituals are full-blown dance routines; they wear costumes and lead singing or chanting; they act out scenes from plays or movies; there are even light, music, laser and smoke shows (Global Wellness Summit, 2016).

In Glasgow, and the particularly on the Sauchiehall street, Saunas as a category does not exist for a purely cultural intent. The saunas that do exist are either parts of larger wellness institutions like gyms and spas or are based in a hospitality setting that relates to leisure. The social and cultural aspects of saunas as a typology has not “intentionally” been explored as of yet on the Sauchiehall street. The need for the “Sauna as a social binder” category is gaining popularity in which talked about building a community of non-profit saunas. One of Sauna Appreciation Glasgow’s founders, Will, used to live in Finland where he fell in love with sauna. Finnish sauna is deeply embedded in the culture of the country; some Finnish prisons even have them, as the ritual is such an important part of their lives.

Windows to inside

The form is extrapolated from the existing windows present in the old 130 building, looking inwards instead of outwards. Having said that, Metal Grid follows us around in all shapes and sizes but all of them are directed outwards. The facade encourages poeple to peep in, in both litertral terms and in an intangible “cathartic” way.

The experience of exploring a cave. An early human to look for respite enters a cave and lights a fire to keep himself warm. Installations resembling the Callanaish Standing stones are placed at the site. As the aufguss takes place in the confines of the sauna, the lights and temperature vary – essential oils drip on these mamoth rock installations releasing special fragrances, heighteninhg the experience.

Owning to the primal language of the projectand the primitive natiure of the relationship of humans and heat, different objects and materials were chosen to reflect these ideas. All the way from metal (warm and cold) and light cylinders to quartz crystals (as inspiration) and Callanish Standing Stones, each material in this collage is used either literally or placed to add a certain flavour. All these flavours are borrowed from the Valleys and Mountains and ridges and rivers of Scotland itself.