ArchitectureOsaka · Renovated, men only
A 1983 Osaka bathhouse renovated as Shizunoyu Fukushima, a men's sauna
MABI Architects keeps the curves and old tiles of Yoshiji Takehara's Enmeiyu while adding a sauna, cold plunge and bar.
Neighbourhood bathhouses in Japan have always been about more than getting clean, and this renovation in Osaka's Fukushima ward leans into that. Enmeiyu, a public bath designed by Yoshiji Takehara in 1983, has been reworked by MABI Architects into Shizunoyu Fukushima, a bathing facility for men only.
The architects held on to what gave the old building its character: its curved forms and its distinctive tilework. In the washing area, as many of the original tiles as possible have been kept, so regulars will still recognise the room. Around them sit the new additions: a sauna, a cold plunge pool, an outdoor bathing area, an indoor space for relaxing and a bar counter, slotted in alongside the existing materials rather than replacing them.
The idea, as the project description puts it, is to carry on the bathhouse's role as a place for casual encounters and conversation between generations, keeping its tie to the local community. Signage is by Yusuke Sakurai and the logo by Hiroaki Endo of NEWMAN.
This comes from a designer's own submission to designboom, so treat it as the architects' account. It's worth a look for anyone interested in how Japan's sento are being given a second life, though note it admits men only. Check opening hours before you go.
Our summary of a story from designboom, published 14 October 2026. Read the original
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