Sauna Vuurmannetje had a garden and several indoor and outdoor saunas. Its nickname came from a small statue beside one of the outdoor saunas. It also appears in the photographs.
After closing in 2011, the complex lay abandoned for several years. During that short period, it became a popular photography location. Not long afterwards, the old sauna was demolished.
The series belongs to that intervening period. The present use is not part of the visit I recorded then, and I publish no address or route here.
An empty whirlpool and the masonry surrounding the saunas still clearly show the layout of the complex. In the treatment room, the light takes centre stage. Without staff or visitors, the transitions between wood, stone and tiles become much more noticeable. For a photo story, an ordinary room like this can sometimes be more useful than the feature by which everyone recognises the location.
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