AR2224 FINAL ESSAY TOH EU JUIN A0216178B
Final Essay- Therme Vals (Simplicity and Complexity)
darker private spaces such as the changing rooms are located inside.
In Words and Buildings, Adrian Forty addresses ‘simplicity’, in modernism, covers anything from ‘the method of design, to structural expression, to perceived effect’1. Peter Zumthor also offers his own framework for seeing architecture from angles “historically, aesthetically, functionally, personally and passionately”.2 With this holistic approach, I intend to explore how Zumthor’s Therme Vals exemplifies simplicity through its natural approach in design, Architectonics, maximisation of the complex phenomenological experiences and the historical context of thermal baths to trace how time has changed the world view of simplicity in the typology of thermal baths. The Therme Vals achieves simplicity through its humble design to allow its users to fully immerse themselves in the baths and experience a highly sensuous and restorative sensation, proving that complexity can co-exist even in a simple design.
Figure 1: Fissures of Glass
Figure 2: Crevices of Caves
Simplicity: Natural Approach of Design Abbe Laugier’s idea of ‘simplicity’ as “a fundamental property of architecture, founded in its natural origins”3 is in line with Zumthor’s own belief ‘of apprehending and expressing some of the primal and as if were ‘culturally innocent’ attributes of these elements’4, which is also exemplified in the Therme Vals. The Therme Vals is metaphorically conceived as a geometric cave system made from locally quarried Valser Quarzite. Similar to the crevices of caves, Zumthor carved out slids to allow light into the space. (Figure 1 & 2) As they do in a natural cave system, light enters through the ‘cave’s’ mouths, and through ‘cracks’ between the ‘geological’ sections of the ‘rock’ roof.5 Light not only leads users to certain predetermined destinations (Figure 3) but also plays with the humid environment to create a visual spectacle and ambience upon reflecting in air and refracting into water. The lines of light that appear between these thin fissures of glass also makes the heavy roof feel even lighter. As the natural light is filtered through these small gaps, it creates the illusion that these massive concrete ceiling are floating in midair. Following the form of caves, the hierarchy of privacy driven by light can also influence its programs. As spaces closer to the exterior façade are exposed to more light, they are assigned public spaces while
A natural approach on designing Therme Vals is also seen in its harmony with landscape. The concrete grass roof enables Theme Vals to blend in with the landscape in both summer and winter. (Figure 4 & 5) In summer, natural vegetation extends onto the roof, making it a natural part of the site, while in the winter, snow are left to cover the roof and the baths are concealed within the landscape. Being a vernacular architecture, Zumthor sourced exclusively on the local Valser stones to fit with the mountainous landscape as they had already demonstrated atmospheric qualities. A natural expression of time was also achieved by replacing clock time with movement of the sun and clouds across the sky6. Even time was not artificial as it allowed bathers to not be bounded by time and really immerse themselves in the whole bathing experience.
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Forty, A. (2000). Simple. In Words and buildings: A vocabulary of modern architecture (p. 250). London: Thames & Hudson. 2 Zumthor, P. (2017). A Way of Looking at Things . In Thinking architecture (p. 18). Basel: Birkhäuser. 3 Forty, A. (2000). Simple. In Words and buildings: A vocabulary of modern architecture (p. 250). London: Thames & Hudson. 4 Zumthor, P. (2017). The Hard Core of Beauty. In Thinking architecture (pp. 31-32). Basel: Birkhäuser.
Figure 3: Guided Movement by Light
Unwin, S. (2015). Thermal Baths, Vals. In Twenty-five buildings every architect should understand: A revised and expanded edition of twenty buildings every architect should understand (p. 207). London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. 6 Unwin, S. (2015). Thermal Baths, Vals. In Twenty-five buildings every architect should understand: A revised and expanded edition of twenty buildings every architect should understand (p. 210). London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
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