A warm invitation awaits the people of Bangor on Saturday, October 25, as the city once again becomes home to a community consultation experience unlike any other – one that invites residents to share their visions for the city’s future from inside a sauna.
Taking place from 11 am to 4 pm outside STORIEL, Ffordd Gwynedd, “From Sauna, With Love” transforms public engagement into an immersive and sensory encounter. The event invites locals to “relax first, reflect later,” offering complimentary sauna sessions before opening space for conversation, storytelling, and imagination.
Led by MArch Architecture students from CAT/UEL and supported by Bangor City Council, the initiative is delivered in partnership with local business North Wales Sauna and STORIEL. Together, they have created a participatory art installation that merges architecture, wellness, and community dialogue.
At its heart sits a mobile, wood-fired sauna – reimagined as a social space for collective reflection. Within its warmth, guests are guided by an evocative soundscape that poses place-based questions, such as:
“Unifying Upper & Lower Bangor: How might Wales’ oldest city unite to spark a movement in personal, collective, and planetary transformation?”
After their sauna experience, visitors are invited to share their responses on a laser-cut cork map of Bangor, using symbolic pins and notes to chart local hopes, memories, and ideas for the city’s future.
Organisers describe the project as both poetic and practical — a way to surface stories that often go unheard, while nurturing a shared sense of belonging. “It’s a moment to pause, connect, and imagine,” says the North Wales Sauna team. “We’re inviting Bangor to dream together, one breath at a time.”
Participants are encouraged to bring two towels, flip-flops, and a bottle of water, as changing facilities will be limited. Sauna hats and dry robes are optional but recommended for comfort.
The event is free and open to all. Whether a long-time resident or new to the city, everyone is welcome to step inside, unwind, and add their voice to Bangor’s unfolding story.
“From sauna, with love – a space for warmth, dialogue, and vision.”
