Thermal Baths in Vals

Description

The Vals valley has been famous for its thermal springs since the 19th century. In the 1980s, after the hotel passed into public hands, the municipality decided to build an infrastructure that would strengthen the connection to its springs. The winner of the competition was Peter Zumthor and his project fully met the expectations.  Connected underground with the old hotel, the building leaves behind the dialogue with the existing architecture to create a connection with the timeless character of the site’s geology. The building emerges from the mountain and is built from its greenish-grey gneiss. The stone strips are not part of the cladding, but of the structural walls, and create the illusion that the building has emerged from the ground. Natural light streams through subtle openings in the stone, while water seems to rise from the ground itself, flooding part of the labyrinthine space, both inside and out. The building not only creates a path to be walked, but also proposes a space that the visitor can explore in multiple ways. The architecture shapes a setting where what really matters is the sensual experience of the user.