PeterZumthorValsThermalBathPeterZumthorisaSwissarchitect.HewasbornonApril26,1943,thesonofacabinetmakerinBasel,Switzerland.Hewastrainedasacabinetmakerfrom1958to1962.From1963-67,hestudiedattheKunstgewerbeschule.In1966,ZumthorstudiedindustrialdesignasanexchangestudentatPrattInstituteinNewYork.In1968,hebecameconservationistarchitectfortheDepartmentforthePreservationofMonumentsofthecantonofGraubünden.CareerZumthorfoundedhisownfirmin1979.HehastaughtatSouthernCaliforniaInstituteofArchitectureinLosAngeles(1988),theTechnicalUniversityofMunich(1989),TulaneUniversity(1992),andtheHarvardGraduateSchoolofDesign(1999).Since1996,heisprofessorattheAccademiadiArchitetturadiMendrisioRecognitions-PritzkerArchitecturePrize2009-PraemiumImperialefromtheJapanArtAssociationin2008-ArnoldW.BrunnerMemorialPrizeinArchitecturein2008-ThomasJeffersonFoundationMedalinArchitecturefromtheUniversityofVirginia2006-MiesvanderRoheAwardforEuropeanArchitecturein1999-CarlsbergArchitecturePrizeinDenmarkin1998“abuildingthatisbeingitself,beingabuilding,notrepresentinganything,justbeing.”

——PeterZumthorTheartmuseumstandsinthelightofLakeConstance.Itismadeofglassandsteelandacastconcretestonemass.Fromtheoutside,thebuildinglookslikealamp.Itabsorbsthechanginglightofthesky,thehazeofthelake.Itreflectslightandcolorandgivesaninformationofitsinnerlifeaccordingtotheangleofvision,thedaylightandtheweather.Arguablythemostinterestingaspectsofthechurcharefoundinthemethodsofconstruction,beginningwithawigwammadeof112treetrunks.Uponcompletionoftheframe,layersofconcretewerepouredandrammedatoptheexistingsurface,eacharound50cmthick.Whentheconcreteofall24layershadset,thewoodenframewassetonfire,leavingbehindablackenedvoidandcarbonizedwalls.BruderKlausFieldChapel

KunsthausBregenzValsThermalBathOutoftheeasternsideofthebasin-shapedvalleyofVals,around1200metersabovesea

level,risesaspring,itswatersawarm30℃/86℉.BeyondthespringisthevillageofVals,aribbonofrough-stone-roofed,timberfarmhousestrungalongthenarrowValserrheinrivervalley.Nexttothespringtherewasonceamodestspahoteldatingfrom1893.Thehotelwasreplacedbythepresentthermalbatharound1960.In1960sspaissimplybuiltand,althoughitsuffersfromanumberofarchitecturalandtechnicalproblems,ithasastraightforwardpresence,withthelightnessof1960sarchitecturewhichhaslongbeenlostintheregion.Duringtheearly1980sthecommunityofValsboughtabankrupthotel,andcommissionedPeterZumthortobuildanewthermalbath.ThebuildingbecameasuccessinSwitzerland:onlytwoyearsafteritsopeningitbecameaprotectedbuilding;youcanfindphotographsofitinanykindofmagazineinthatcountry;thenameofthearchitectiswellknowtothecommoncitizenofGraubünden;thevillageofValsisagainonthemap.Thespaareaisevolvedaround2irregularlyshapedpools,oneinthecenterofthebuilding,theotherintheopenair.Zumthorusedblockstudiestoanalyzespace,light,andshade.Asaresult,theroomsareorganizedbydifferentrectangularformsthatserveasbath,shower,andrestingareas.Toenterthebuilding,onehastoenterfromthemainhotelfollowbyacorridorinthebasementthatpassesthroughthemountain.TheThermalValsisbuiltfromlayeruponlayeroflocallyquarriedValserQuartziteslabs.Thisstonebecamethedrivinginspirationforthedesign.Itconsistsof60,000individualstoneslabsprefabricatedindifferentdimensionsandstackedtogetheronsite.Theslabsarecutin3thicknesses:31,47,and67mm.Thesethicknessesalongwith3mortarjointsof3mmeachyieldatotalof15cm.Theentirestonemassofthebuildingisbasedonincrementsofthisunit.Arrangingthe3elementsindifferenceorderswouldcreategreatvisualvarietywithoutcomplicatingconstruction.Thebuildingismadeupof15simpleunits.Theseunitsareallshapeddifferently.Eachonehasalargeoutcroppingroofsection.Theoverhangingconcreteslabisheldinthehorizontalpositionbymetalcablesthatcarrythetensiontotheground.Thetiebeamsareinvisible,castinthesecondlayerofconcreteorheldinconcretebetweentwolayersstoneoftheunitwalls.Theroofcoveringthewholedevelopedsitefittogetherlikeapuzzle,whilethesmallerunitsbeneaththemdon’tquitefillthewholesurfacearea.Thefreespaceallowsmovementsthroughoutthebuilding.Theunitsalsoformthefa?ade.Noneoftheroofsectionstoucheachother.Theyareseparatedby6cmslitsattheceilingjoints.Glassjointsprotectthebuildingfromanyinfiltrationandcreatelightslitsthataddtothesenseoffluidityoftheoverallspace.

Zumthorusedblockmodelstostudythecombinationofdaylightthatpenetratesthroughtheslitsattheceilingjoints.Lightscastinrestonthewallsandreflectonthewater.TheappropriatelevelofdaylightwascarefullycalculatedbyZumthor.Asaresult,anexceptionalmysticalatmosphereiscreatedintheindoorpool..Ineachunit,Zumthorhascreatedasurprise.Firs