Case Study Two: Peter Zumthor, Therme Vals
Therme Vals creates a sensory experience utilizing bold materials and playful light.
Experiential enclosures derive from manipulation of phenomenal design features. Zumthor
illuminates this piece of architecture by poetically describing it as obtaining “right from the
start, a feeling… for darkness and light, for the reflection of light upon water, for the diffusion
of light though steam-filled air… for the ritual of bathing” (Three Concepts 11). The interplay
between space, material and light is evident in their reliance on one another. The stone
material in this project evokes a sense of reality, the open and closed spaces seduce circulation
and the light transmits these sensations into an experience highlighting their characteristics.