Vals quartzite gneiss.
Thermal baths vals floor plan.
In total 450 m of vals quartzite panels were processed for the walls of the thermal baths 3100 square feet of wall surface layers with 20 sqm.
Thermal baths in vals switzerland by peter zumthor first published in ar august 1997 this piece was republished online in august 2015 vals lies an hour away from chur by car deep in a valley dotted with shepherd huts and enlivened by the sound of cowbells.
Inspired by this natural environment zumthor decides to create a complex with a cave structure or integrated quarry as it is located under a semi buried green.
The thermal bath at vals in graubünden switzerland are often considered architect peter zumthor s masterpiece at least by the public.
Already in 1998 just two years after its opening it became a national monument.
T his article is part of an installment of essays and examples illuminating the essence of good architecture which as slow space founder mette aamodt defines comprises the three fundamental qualities of empathy experience and beauty the exploration of peter zumthor s thermal baths in vals switzerland represents a paragon of architecture as experience as an extraordinary sensory.
A bankrupt hotel complex from the 1960s was transformed by zumthor s ingenuity.
Made from 60 000 slabs of vals quartzite the thermal baths were granted protected heritage status shortly after their completion.
Length all the strips together stone used is 62 000 linear feet.
From within the baths the fissures topped with several layers of glass mark at least one edge of each stone shaft about the central pool.
The building definitely rewards its visitors with the rare pleasure of experiencing a genuine example of timeless architecture.
Images by unknown photographer.
Praised as one of the best completed works by 2009 pritzker laureate peter zumthor the vals thermal baths might be one of the most iconic buildings in swiss contemporary architecture.
Peter spring at a pleasant 30 celsius makes the time you spend in the thermal baths a deeply relaxing experience.
This resultsin certain flanks being washed in zenithal light but also divides up the ceiling plan so that each shaft housing supplementary structure supports its portion of roof.
The unique atmosphere and the highly mineralised water that comes out of the st.
Built over the only thermal springs in the graubunden canton in switzerland the therme vals is a hotel and spa in one which.
The vals thermal resort is situated in a valley on the only thermal springs of the swiss canton of graubündens switzerland between mountains of rock formations and alpine meadows.
