Crystal Sauna

At the centre of WasteLand stands Crystal Sauna, a fully functioning public sauna sculpture shaped like a giant asymmetric lithium crystal. Clad in pink, stainless mirror steel with a titanium coating, the work reflects the surrounding river and forest while creating a new and unmistakable visual landmark. Inside the sculptural form is a warm, shaped interior, a “wooden cave”, designed as a contrasting sensory experience.

Crystal Sauna was created by Bigert & Bergström, the artist duo behind internationally acclaimed public works such as Tipping Point and Solar Egg. At WasteLand, their new work becomes a destination and a symbol of a larger story: how a site marked by 100 years of industrial production and pollution can be transformed into a place for public imagination, climate reflection and future-making.

From polluted industrial site to park for climate action

After 17 years of extensive remediation work, Scharin’s former industrial area, previously one of Västerbotten’s most polluted sites, has been transformed into a green meeting place and a visionary outdoor laboratory for future urban development.

Under the motto “From Waste to Promise”, we are now opening the doors to the art and knowledge park WasteLand — a unique place where urban development, climate adaptation and spectacular art come together.

The park brings together urban development, climate adaptation, artistic practice and academic research. It opens in connection with Society Expo 2026 (SE26), an international platform focused on the sustainable societies of the future. WasteLand is intended as a park for climate action, discussion, reflection and new perspectives on how society changes.