The video above an interesting documentary I have found about Peter Zumthor's Thermae Vals, nestled in the remote Valsertal Valley in Switzerland, which is a piece of architecture that I consider to be particularly atmospheric.
“Mountain, stone, water – building in the stone, building with the stone, into the mountain, building out of the mountain, being inside the mountain – how can the implications and the sensuality of the association of these words be interpreted, architecturally?” - Peter Zumthor
The building is made up of 15 or so different units, each with their own unique character to create a complete sensory experience. For example, in one such unit the concrete walls are tinted red, which is a colour associated with heat. To reflect this, the water in this unit is heated to 42°C instead of 32°C, like most of the rest of the spa. In other units, you can find swirling water, water with flower petals, you can taste the water, listen to the music of the stones, have a steam bath, or even take a cold plunge at 14°C.
"I find it incredible to have spaces that have presences or atmospheres, that are surrounded with specific materials, where the shell of the building is like an instrument." - Peter Zumthor
“Mountain, stone, water – building in the stone, building with the stone, into the mountain, building out of the mountain, being inside the mountain – how can the implications and the sensuality of the association of these words be interpreted, architecturally?” - Peter Zumthor
The building is made up of 15 or so different units, each with their own unique character to create a complete sensory experience. For example, in one such unit the concrete walls are tinted red, which is a colour associated with heat. To reflect this, the water in this unit is heated to 42°C instead of 32°C, like most of the rest of the spa. In other units, you can find swirling water, water with flower petals, you can taste the water, listen to the music of the stones, have a steam bath, or even take a cold plunge at 14°C.
"I find it incredible to have spaces that have presences or atmospheres, that are surrounded with specific materials, where the shell of the building is like an instrument." - Peter Zumthor