CASE Study
Therme Vals Spa, Peter Zumthor
Synthesis drawing
Light, materiality, and water all contribute to create a unique user experience in Peter Zumthor’s work, Therme Vals. This synthesis drawing is a result of intense study into these elements, all of which are represented. Water flows from the “mountain”, consisting of finely drawn lines, emulating the Valsar Quartzite rock that is layered in the building. Voids are then created from this material, shown with the dark pochéd rooms. Light connects the voids, water, and the mountain which is shown reflecting from the water inside of the space.
mixed media diagrams
The first phase of understanding this building was to diagram it. From these, spatial relations became easier to make— such as what parts of the structure were inside and outside, or the temperatures of the different baths offered. In the building, thresholds and boundaries were also discovered. This quickly became my favorite to diagram because of how quickly one’s emotions of the space can change— temperature, scale, and areas of prospect and refuge all contribute to these changes.
Orthographics
