Peter Zumthor’s thermal baths in Vals, Switzerland is an extroardinary example of an essence of a building. To walk trougth not just stucture but materials. Even the way emotions and thougths. Peter Zumthor itself and its way of process with this stucture is in a way beutiful and dreamy. To take this two points and wonder in them to reveal in thougth what the essence of a building really is.
On the work of the thermar baths we can speak of how beutifully simple the structure is even if it seems complicated. There are just pieces close to each other, same heigh but different thicknesses, the color and material of each space and the building itself. Is like with the pieces its speaks of how we can percieve things in a way when seen in a specific perspective. The same goes with the thickness of the each piece its like even they are differente they are still the same. The material gives unity of a unrequired space with one thats been there for centuries, and they both seem to unite with one and other.
The very amazing part is how through all this the building as a whole speaks to you in many ways. It is as if its comunicating different meanings to a person. You can see it in the perspectives, water, material, colors, surroundings. Even if there are different details in the structure, each part completes it as whole. The parts of enclosure, open spaces, and circulation it takes you to a crossing of adventure and feeling of belonged.
This can be a very good example of the essence of architecture, on how a structure doesn't and does connet with itself. The way of Peter thinking this and any other project of his amaze me. To think of its design but on how to the most important part give it life. It not just a fill this request but to be part of what it is the proyect. Its essence is for ii to be the same as a child who lives and wonder in this world and others with him.
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