The Therme Vals Spa in the small alpine village of Vals is one of the most famous works of the Swiss architect and it is a modern structure with horizontal slates of stones, based on the ancient baths. By exploring the characteristics of this construction, we will be able to look at phenomenology in action, along with its limits, which in theory may seem unimpeded, since the senses can be unimpeded as well. This visit was part of a field trip organized by the University of Brighton and provided me with a unique opportunity to visit the Spa Complex in Switzerland, one of the most famous spas in Switzerland offering a complete sensory experience. This essay will explore the initial hypothesis about architecture producing intangible experiences by using physical materials and light through the prism phenomenology, introducing a case study on a building that I recently visited, Therme Vals baths, designed by Peter Zumthor. His buildings incorporate his knowledge of materials into modernist construction and detailing, while they explore the tactile and sensory qualities of spaces and other materials, maintaining a minimalistic feel. One of the architects who incorporated and realized phenomenology in his work is Peter Zumthor. This made me discover some of the rules of good architecture. Luckily, he’s sometimes contradictory in his writing and not always does what he says. So I mainly based my work on his writing. That was an issue because finding proper critics helps with analysing.
All the critics about the building I found were very good-natured and meaningless. I saw what results he reached with following a few very simple rules. And not just this, I found out how he structures his design process. Surprisingly, I really found a couple of clear rules, I can actually implement in my future work. I’m searching for the key information that makes the building a success. I like the building, I like the work of the architect, but what is it exactly that makes it good? In my dissertation I’m analysing it and compare it with what Peter Zumthor wrote about it and about architecture. What can I as a student learn from the Therme Vals? That was my initial question I based my dissertation on.
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