This summer, I got to spend a month in Switzerland learning about sustainability. Since Switzerland is a relatively small country compared to France or Germany, I was planning to visit all of its bests, including the Thermal Baths designed by Peter Zumthor in Vals. However, located in the midst of the snow-covered Alps, Vals is not easy to get to by train because the rails are built around the mountains and therefore there’s no straight and direct route. Getting exposed to this fantastic building in class is a real thrill to me.
Zumthor incorporates a systematic way of thinking into his design. Instead of doing conventional drawings, Zumthor created a set of expressive diagrams charactering the thermal qualities of different ponds and massive solid piers. Interestingly, instead of being humongous blocks, these massive solid piers turn into volumes in plan. They become enclosed spaces of different thermal experiences. Aside from the thermal quality, which is the main focus of the building, Zumthor also diagrammed about the light condition of the building where brightness associates with public open areas like swimming pools while shades associate with private spaces such as locker rooms. The sectional quality of the building is also fascinating. It creates a cave-like atmosphere because the building is half buried into the site covered with a grass roof which intends to resemble the foundation of archeological sites.