Patricia Urquiola reimagines the sauna and hammam as an architecture of retreat for Effe

A stronghold might seem an unlikely starting point for a space dedicated to rest. But in ‘Baluar’, Patricia Urquiola’s new sauna and hammam collection for Italian wellness specialist Effe, the defensive architecture of the medieval bastion is transformed into something altogether more restorative. Solid and sheltering, yet connected to its surroundings, it becomes an intimate architecture in which to retreat, slow down and regenerate.

Unveiled at this year’s Milan Design Week – and available to order in 2027 – ‘Baluar’ marks the beginning of a collaboration between Urquiola and Effe, bringing the designer’s characteristically human approach to materials and space together with the company’s longstanding expertise in wellness architecture. Rather than a sauna or hammam conceived simply as an object, this is a compact architectural system, in which material, light, heat and steam work together to shape the experience.

‘‘‘Baluar” is inspired by an ancient structure – the medieval bastion – that looks outwards but offers shelter within its walls,’ says Urquiola. ‘I wanted to transform this architectural element into a wellness space, a compact, almost archetypal space where you can relax and unwind.’

That sense of enclosure is expressed through elemental geometry and tactile materiality. The exterior is clad in heat-treated lime wood, available in light and dark tones, with narrow vertical grooves bringing rhythm and depth to its surfaces. Controlled lighting arrives from above, reinforcing the feeling of refuge and allowing the architecture itself to set the mood.

Behind that apparent simplicity sits the technical complexity of creating spaces for heat and steam. ‘Baluar’ brings sauna and hammam together within a single modular language, integrating the technology required for each while allowing it to recede behind the architecture. It is an approach that reflects Effe’s broader philosophy: treating wellness environments not as specialist equipment inserted into an interior, but as integral elements of furniture and architecture.

The system is also designed to adapt. Sauna and hammam modules can be arranged in different compositions, respond to spaces of varying dimensions, stand independently or become part of larger residential and spa environments. Effe’s in-house technical department works alongside architects and contractors on such projects, combining specialist spa-design knowledge with the flexibility required to translate an architectural idea into a functioning wellness space.

‘The system combines a sauna and hammam in a modular structure that adapts to any environment, while still making a bold design statement,’ says Urquiola.

At Milan Design Week 2026, Effe dedicated its stand entirely to ‘Baluar’, presenting different finishes and configurations that demonstrate how the collection can move between the scale of an object and that of an interior.

The bastion, then, is more than a visual reference. A structure once conceived for protection becomes a place for temporarily withdrawing from the outside world. Urquiola provides the architecture of shelter; timber, shadow and light create its atmosphere; and Effe’s engineering quietly enables the rituals within. In ‘Baluar’, the machinery of wellness retreats from view, leaving architecture – and the experience of regeneration – to take its place.

Discover the ‘Baluar’ collection online at effe.com