Take the contrast therapy plunge in Paris this spring, where Sant Roch, home to the largest sauna in France, has just opened its doors as the capital’s hottest (and coldest, if you follow through with the plunge pool aspect) new wellness destination. Located in the chic 1st arrondissement, just opposite the Tuileries Gardens, it is designed as an immersive, sensory haven.
Step inside Sant Roch, France's largest sauna
Sant Roch was founded by Jules and Chloé Bouscatel, a Paris-based couple in design and life, who are also behind Monday Sports Club, a fitness group that operates more than 20 boutique studios in the French capital (under the brands Punch Boxing, Dynamo and Riise).
The space, by Toronto-based Futurstudio under the artistic direction of Olivier Léone, draws on ancient rituals and the Roman baths of Lutetia for inspiration. Spanning a generous 400 sq m across two levels (the sauna alone occupies 60 sq m), it’s characterised by contemporary luxury and grounded in materiality, with timber featuring prominently.
Artful lighting compositions, immersive playlists and aromatherapy set an atmospheric stage, and help define the transitions through the space. In addition to the areas for deep heat, for instance, are five cold plunge pools, set at a somewhat breathtaking 3°C to 8°C.
These transitions between hot and cold are at the heart of contrast therapy, a practice gaining in popularity (Wallpaper* tried out London’s first contrast therapy centre last year). The abrupt shifts in temperature are intended to trigger the widening and narrowing of blood vessels, helping to flush out metabolic waste and ease pain. It’s often used to boost circulation, reduce inflammation, and help speed up muscle recovery. Sant Roch’s makers describe the facility as ‘a place dedicated to experience, where heat and cold become tools for regeneration, grounding and deep physical release’.
Clients can opt for a self-guided or guided experience, the latter led by practitioners trained in the Sant Roch method, which combines breathwork, sound immersion, meditation and embodied movement. Collectively, the mix of treatments and techniques is intended to enable a physical and mental reset, and deep relaxation.
Neither a spa nor a conventional wellness space, Sant Roch is certainly a unique environment in which to seek ‘regeneration, grounding and deep physical release’, as the company puts it.
