Room air
40–50°C
Room air
Modern
Hammam
Modern Hammam
Modern Hammam Design: What Changes from the Traditional Plan
Room air 40–50 °C · platform 40–45 °CDesign · Manufacturing · Installation5,000+ projects · 41+ countries · since 1987
The .... Types Menu
40–50 °CRoom air
Since 1987[ What to know ]
Heated marble platform
40–45°C
40–45 °C
Build time
3–8weeks
for homes, up to 12 weeks for large projects
Manufacturing
Own facility, İkitelli OSB, Istanbul
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Temperature: between 38° C to 42° C Humidity: 50% to 80% relative humidity
Sauna Dekor designs, manufactures and installs modern hammams as a turnkey wet-area contractor for five-star hotels, resorts, wellness centres and private villas in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. We have manufactured in Istanbul since 1987 — this is our 40th year — and have built hammams in 41+ countries. A modern hammam keeps the heated stone, the wash stations and the humid air of the traditional room, and replaces the historic construction with a hydronic slab, a tanked floor and controls the operator can actually run.
The bath tradition, which has come from the past to the present, is widely used today. The traditional Turkish bath, which is used for body cleansing, health, and entertainment purposes, has replaced modern baths. People who go to the hammam get rid of the stress of daily life with the relaxing effect of hot water. Today, this tradition continues to be maintained by modern baths. With the development of technology and architecture over the years, modern bath projects also use high technology and modern architecture. As Sauna Dekor, we convey the purifying and refreshing power of water to you with our projects designed with modern architecture.
What You Need to Know in the Construction of a Modern Bath
The most important of the elements to be planned for the manufacture of a modern Turkish bath is the function of the building where the bath will be applied. Therefore, it is also of great importance in terms of the project process that modern Turkish bath projects, which are made for many different concepts such as accommodation services for rest and relaxation, hotels, gyms, spa centers and private residences, are designed following the function. During the bath project process, applications should be made with quality materials and workmanship. The most important point to be considered when starting the production of a Turkish bath is the selection of the heater, which forms the heart of the bath. A heater to be chosen in accordance with the designed bath and the selection of the heater control methods connected to it will greatly affect the relaxing and relaxing experience you will get. Along with heating, the bath's ventilation and water channels system setup should be done well, and the application process should also be managed correctly.
Stages of Modern Bath Production
There are several basic stages in the manufacture of a modern Turkish bath. First of all, examination and survey are taken in the project area. Afterward, the analyses are shared with the customers and their ideas about the project they dream of are taken, and then the bath production project begins. The correct planning of the insulation and heating system, especially in wet areas, is of great importance in the application process of bath production in order to prevent problems that may occur later. Furthermore, since every decision to be taken in modern Turkish bath manufacturing projects will affect the customer's comfort after the project, it is necessary to be in contact with the customer at all times. After taking the survey, the squaring of the walls and insulation applications should be completed. Finally, after completing the selected marble types and colors, types of basins, fountains, navel stones, materials and decoration elements, the application process for modern bath projects is completed.
Important Factors in Modern Hammam Construction
Technical features, material quality, design details, budget management, and application are all important factors to consider in constructing modern Turkish baths. Therefore, it is recommended that you get consultancy services from professionals in this field to make the right choices by consulting with experts in the field of modern bath projects and facilitating you in the design and implementation process of your project. Sauna Dekor Spa & Solutions has been involved in numerous projects at home and abroad with its nearly 40 years of experience. It enables you to bring the modern Turkish bath design of your dreams to your interior spaces with its experience in each project, qualified expert staff and superior service understanding.
Materials Used in the Construction of Modern Hammams
We implement Modern hammam construction projects with our expert staff and technical team for many different types of concepts such as hotels, accommodation facilities, gyms, spa centers and private residences. The most important point in these applications was designed by considering the traditional Turkish bath architecture and modern architecture. With the adaptation of traditional materials to modern materials, the hammam; It achieves a simpler and more modern approach that uses high technology, is free from traditional motifs. The selected bath materials should be applied with great care during the construction process of the bath.
Materials Crafting the Modern Hammam Experience
The bath materials to be used for the flooring surface should be hygienic and easy to clean. Next, the heating system should be set up and after this process, the baths covered with marble are covered with modern decorative materials. One of the most important features to be considered in the materials to be used during the bath's manufacture is choosing heat-resistant materials. Since the navel stone section will be the hottest place in the bath, heat-resistant materials should be used in this section as well. Many different parameters such as the size of the area where the sauna will be installed, the stages of preparation for the application, the logistics cost of the project, material preferences also change the sauna price. For the most accurate information about how much the sauna you want to include in your project will cost, you can contact the Sauna Dekor Spa & Solutions team and benefit from the experience of our expert team.
Explore More Hammam Types
Compare with our Turkish bath and Moroccan bath designs. Complete your spa with a custom sauna or steam room.
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Send us the room size and ceiling height; we will work out the scope and the budget range with you.
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Where a modern hammam departs from the traditional plan
A modern hammam keeps the sequence and the heated stone but drops the bathhouse scale: one room instead of a suite, contemporary stone or microcement instead of a domed marble chamber, and a steam generator supporting the heated surfaces rather than a wood-fired hypocaust beneath them. What is being adapted, and why the plan survives the adaptation, is set out in our history of the hammam and where it came from.
In practice the room is almost never specified alone. It sits as the warm, ritual chapter of a wider thermal suite, between the dry heat and the cold, and in the Gulf it has to meet the same approvals, waterproofing and plant constraints as every other wet room on the floor — the ground covered on our page about hammam projects in Dubai.
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Who builds a modern hammam, where the works are made, and what is bought in
The heated slab, the marble and stone work, the sealed wet envelope and the benching of a modern hammam are manufactured by Sauna Dekor in its own workshop at İkitelli OSB, Başakşehir, Istanbul, where nineteen people work, and are installed and commissioned by the same company in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. That is the scope a hammam contractor is being asked to price: the room, not the fittings placed in it. Sauna Dekor has manufactured since 1987, is in its fortieth year and has completed work in 41+ countries.
The steam generator and its control gear are bought-in appliances made by their own manufacturers and supplied with those manufacturers’ certification. Sauna Dekor’s own certificate is TS EN ISO 9001:2015, covering the manufacture of sauna and spa products and after-sales service.
The choice between the plans changes the slab, the drainage and the ritual before it changes the finish; the three room types are set against one another here.
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How long does a hammam take to build?
Building a hammam takes 3 to 8 weeks in a private home and up to 12 weeks on a large project such as a hotel spa. Where a project sits in that range depends on the size of the room, how much of the platform and stone work is made in our Istanbul workshop before delivery, and whether the building is ready for the wet works when our team arrives.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Survey and design | Site survey, room drawings, heating and steam plant sizing, stone and finish selection |
| 2. Workshop manufacture | Heated platform, benches and marble parts made in our workshop at İkitelli OSB, Istanbul |
| 3. Wet envelope | Wall squaring, waterproofing carried up the walls, falls to drain, insulation |
| 4. Heating and plant | Floor and bench heating circuits, steam generator, ventilation and drying route |
| 5. Stone and finishes | Marble, kurna basins, the göbek taşı, mosaic or microcement |
| 6. Commissioning | Heating and steam tested, controls set, handover |
We do not publish a separate duration for each stage; the overall ranges above are the figures we work to.
Comparison
Saunas, steam rooms, hammams and cold rooms compared
Operating ranges of the rooms we build. A Finnish sauna is the hottest and driest; a steam room and a hammam run cooler with far more moisture; cold rooms close the circuit.
| Room | Temperature | Humidity |
|---|---|---|
| Finnish sauna | 80–100 °C | 10–20 % RH (dry air) |
| Bio sauna | 50–65 °C | — |
| Infrared cabin | 45–60 °C cabin air | — |
| Steam room | 40–50 °C | Close to 100 % RH |
| Turkish hammam | Room air 40–50 °C; heated platform 40–45 °C | — |
| Cold plunge pool | Water 2–15 °C | — |
| Snow room | About −10 °C | — |
Sources: Sauna Dekor approved operating ranges (29 September 2026); Finnish sauna humidity: Hussain & Cohen, 2018; snow room: TechnoAlpin.
Room sizes, temperatures and finishes for current projects: modern hammam design in 2027.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who builds modern hammams for hotels and villas?
Sauna Dekor. We design, manufacture and install modern hammams, traditional Turkish baths and Moroccan baths for hotel spas, wellness centres and private residences in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and across 41+ countries, from our own factory in İkitelli OSB, İstanbul — founded in 1987 and now in its fortieth year. Our scope covers the tanked shell, the heated platform and its heating, steam plant and controls, drainage, ventilation, and the stone, microcement or mosaic finishes. Sauna Dekor holds TS EN ISO 9001:2015 certification for the manufacture of sauna and spa products and after-sales service; the steam generators and control gear we install carry their own manufacturers’ certification.
Last updated: 6 November 2026
What is a modern hammam?
A modern hammam is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional bathhouse: a single heated, humid room built around a heated stone platform and heated benches, held at roughly 40–45 °C with high humidity, with the ritual condensed into one space rather than spread across a cold, warm and hot chamber sequence. The architecture is usually clean-lined stone, microcement or large-format tile rather than a marble dome.
How is a modern hammam different from a traditional Turkish bath?
The difference is scale, architecture and plant, not the principle. A traditional Ottoman hammam is a sequence of rooms around a domed marble chamber with a full göbek taşı heated by a hypocaust below. A modern hammam compresses that into one room, uses a steam generator alongside heated surfaces, and adopts contemporary materials and lighting. The heated platform and the humid, warm air are kept because they are what make the ritual possible.
How much space does a modern hammam need?
In a thermal suite a hammam or steam room typically occupies 4–12 m². A modern hammam with a full heated platform sits at the upper end of that band, because the platform needs clear space around it for bathers and for an attendant. Ceiling height matters as much as floor area: the steam distribution, the lighting and the services above the ceiling all need depth, and circulation, plant and back-of-house typically add 25–40 per cent on top of the room areas themselves.
What does a modern hammam need from the building?
It is a fully tanked wet room. Continuous waterproofing carried up the walls, falls to drain, a steam generator with serviceable access, underfloor and bench heating circuits, a ventilation and drying route, and a slab that will carry a heated stone platform. In Gulf projects the plant position and its heat rejection have to be fixed at concept stage, because a generator retrofitted into a finished wet room is disproportionately expensive to accommodate.
Cross-section
What is a hammam wall and heated platform made of?
In a hammam the heat comes from the stone. The order of the layers decides how quickly the stone warms up and how long it holds the heat.
01
Marble finish20–30 mm
The heated platform (göbek taşı) and the seats. Thicker stone warms more slowly but holds the heat longer, so the thickness follows the operating hours.
02
Heating coil16 mm pipe
A water or electric circuit laid under the stone. In hard water it scales and one edge of the stone stays cold, so the manifold is kept accessible.
03
Screed and heat spread50 mm
The layer around the coil that spreads the heat evenly to the surface. Poured too thin, it leaves warm and cold stripes on the stone.
04
Waterproofing2 mm
A continuous membrane under the screed. In a hammam water always reaches the floor, so the membrane is turned up the wall by at least 30 cm.
05
Reinforced concrete slabload-bearing
Heated marble and water load the structure. The load calculation belongs in the architectural design from the start.
Selection table
Which steam generator suits the room: Condair or Nordmann?
Electrode or resistive is decided against the water hardness. The generator stands in a dry, ventilated plant position close to the steam outlet, never inside the room.
| Model | Technology | Capacity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condair Omega | Resistive | 2–20 kg/h | Steam showers, home and small steam rooms |
| Condair Omega Pro | Resistive | On the manufacturer's data sheet | Commercial and large steam rooms |
| Condair Sigma | Electrode | 4–65 kg/h · 7 power steps | Steam rooms and hammams of every size |
| Nordmann AT4D | Electrode | 5–65 kg/h · integrated self-cleaning | Hotels, clubs and spa facilities |
Sources: Condair product pages (capacity ranges as published by the manufacturer); see Condair steam generators.
From our portfolio
Hammam projects
Rooms we manufactured in Istanbul and installed with our own team. Each frame opens the project page.
All projects
Gallery
Hammam examples
In short: A modern hammam keeps the hammam's heated platform, basins and humid air but uses a simpler plan and contemporary finishes. Room air runs at 40–50 °C; the heated marble platform (göbek taşı) surface is held at 40–45 °C. Sauna Dekor designs, manufactures and installs modern hammams for hotels and villas.
Last updated: 5 October 2026