Passage 44 – Reviving a Forgotten Transit Space

Studio project under the guidance of Roeland Dudal

Sauna for the Overstimulated was an architectural experiment rooted in the need for silence, stillness and sensory balance.

In a world saturated with noise, light and information, I wanted to design a space that offers a counterpoint—a retreat from overstimulation—not by isolating the individual completely, but by carefully controlling what enters the body through the senses.

The project was structured around a spatial ritual. Visitors would gradually transition from an open, semi-public environment into a deeply internalised space of heat, darkness and calm. Each threshold filtered something out, such as sound, light or movement, allowing the architecture to act as a slow veil between the city and the self. It was not just about program, but about pacing, friction and tactility.

Material choices were central to the experience. Rough textures, matte surfaces, warm acoustics and filtered light guided the visitor inward. Rather than relying on high-tech solutions, the architecture itself became the technology of care: stone that holds heat, wood that breathes, darkness that quiets the mind.

The site was located behind the former Brasserie Atlas in Anderlecht, Brussels. This old industrial complex, surrounded by infrastructure and wild vegetation, offered a unique in-between condition. Caught between the city and the overgrown edge of the canal, the location reinforced the project's intention. The landscape became part of the spatial transition—not simply a backdrop, but an essential part of the experience.

This project marked an early moment where I explored how architecture can shift from expressive form to embodied experience. The sauna was never meant to impress. It was meant to slow people down and allow them to feel architecture not through sight, but through breath, skin and time.