THERMAL BATHS

PETER ZUMTHOR
theme 1 - space
Frdric Brisson

Very few buildings gained notoriety in such a short time as the Thermal
Baths located in Vals, in Switzerland. The Swiss architect Peter Zumthor is
behind the creation of that place where landscape and architecture blends
to become one. This essay describes the building in term of its spatial quality, and demonstrates that the architects strong background on the fundamental theories of space helped him achieve that signicant building.

Zumthor rigorously worked the space of the thermal baths based

on a sensitive approach to the experience one could have through
the building.
At the beginning of his research, the design objectives became
clear in his mind as he started the project. He wanted the users to feel
like they were entering in the ground, in a place that could have always been there, where they would experience a return to the original
practice of bathing. He also manifested the intent to respond to the
stone masses of the region that have been there for so long.
Then, as he conceptually developed the design, he quickly focused on 3 elements that would dene the space. First, he developed
a structural concept, the stone tables, which are composed of a loadbearing wall supporting a cantilevered concrete slab, leaving free of
load the three other sides. Second, the large openings created by
joining these stone tables would provide space to view the landscape
of the Swiss Alps. Third, he created various enclosed spaces, providing a different atmosphere with different colours for each of them.

main oor plan

cross section

longitudinal section

The manner in which the spaces have been assembled together provides a multiplicity of experiences that denes it well. The spatial arrangement inside gives the freedom to explore and be attracted by the various
rooms and corridors, often trying to follow traces of light that come through
openings. It is possible to believe that with a more directional approach
of traveling through the structure, the curiosity of the users wouldnt have
been as satised
The passages between and through spaces is also of particular interest for the architect. When leaving the corridor to enter a room, the space
narrows down considerably, sometime with doors recessed further back
in the wall, giving the impression, once again, that other places of interest
need to be discovered. And not only the size of space varies in width, but
it does so in height in closed caves as well as in the large pool inside. As
the water becomes still, it presents itself as a at horizontal plane aligned
with the oor and projecting it further down the space. Only can the height
difference be experienced by reaching the water and going down the stairs
submerged by the illusive liquid surface. The space becomes taller as the
user goes down, allowing the space to behave differently toward him. As
the user wanders in a space composed of rectilinear stone masses, without
any signage, but only two watch-size clocks well integrated in the design,
he comes to see large openings used for terraces, which not only allow the
light to come in and offers views to the landscape, but create an intermediate space between the outside and the inside at the same time.
2

The approach used by Zumthor in the design of the thermal baths

clearly demonstrates that he found inspiration in theories of space previously developed in architecture.

site
integration

First, the design intent shows the architects sensitivity to nd the essence of the site. Looking for the qualitative phenomenon of the place, the
building provides the feeling of entering into the sloped site where it sits,
just like it as always been there, taking its massing concept in the stone
masses found in the region; this is a clear reference to the concept of
phenomenology described by Norberg-Schulz (Norbert-Schulz 1996) as it
thrives to represent the essence of the place into a concrete form. Zumthor
himself talks about aura (Zumthor 2007) of the site in the intent to create
a safe and serene place, providing a sense of belonging (Norbert-Schulz
1996). The architect clearly attempted to manifest the genius loci, as the
author of The Phenomenology of Place would describe it. Also, users can
nd many places in the building, like the terraces looking outside, where
they can dwell in places that preserved the essence of things represented
by the concept of the fourfold: earth, sky, mortals, and divinities (Heidegger
1992). As such, the architect demonstrated an acute understanding of the
environment he worked with, providing a building that reects its nature.

connecion to
landscape

stone
masses

phenomenology

essence
of architecture
fourfold

genius loci

experience of space

Second, the relationship between spaces also provides reasons to think

that Zumthor looked at the fundamental of theories when designing these.
The spatial arrangement found in the building provides, as described previously, no directional path, giving the possibility to the users to explore, to
get in motion through the space; however, it also allows the space itself to
move as the space is formed of many stone tables with cantilevered slab
creating a space underneath that gets in motion as the stone tables modules are placed to form the building (Banham 1975). This multidirectional
attitude of the space also allows to experience certain parts of the building
as innite (van Doesburg 1970); it projects spaces, like the terraces, beyond the limit of the building, reaching outward, while still being within the
building limit. In the end, the architect treated the spatial organisation to be
experienced and celebrated in a broader view than only empty containers
used for sterile circulation.

Third, the space itself is seen as changing, as one circulates and discovers the building. Indeed it becomes abstract in a sense that the uniformity
of stone masses provides homogeneity by being multiform in the shape
its space takes (Lefebvre 1968). More over, it is abstract as the readable
features in the building are limited, almost inexistent. The change in width
and height of the space also takes its source from the theory developed by
Guy Debord (McDonough 2004) as a user can only uses the technique of
the drive to fully live that place and the relation between his body and the
tangible space that change in sizes in this case; an experience that could
not be achieved by a map or a plan of the building only. Overall, the thermal baths presents spaces that change and provide something tangible to
experience.
stone table structure

In conclusion, Zumthors design approach was inuenced by various

theories of space, all of them putting human at the centre of the experience to really feel the essence of its environment and make it tangible into
architecture.

References:
Banham, Reyner. Space and Power, in Age of the Masters. 1975
Heidegger, Martin. Building Dwelling Thinking, in D.F. Krell, ed. Martin Heidegger Basic
Writings, 1992
McDonough, Tom. Situationist Space, in T. McDonough, ed. Guy Debord and the Situationist International, 2004
Lefebvre, Henri. The Production of Space, in K.M. Hays, ed. Architecture Theory since
1968, 1974
Norberg-Schulz, Christian. The Phenomenon of Place, in K. Nesbitt, ed. Theorizing a New
Agenda for Architecture, 1996
Van Doesburg, Theo. Towards a Plastic Architecture, in U.Conrads, ed. Programs and
Manifestoes on 20th Century Architecture, 1970
Hauser, Sigrid and Peter Zumthor. Peter Zumthor Therme Vals, 2007
Photos:
Hlne Binet_____cover
Frdric Brisson__page 1 & 5