Vals

This is the little town of Vals where the Thermal Baths designed by Peter Zumthor are located. Its a town of about 500 people and exudes a sense of serenity and calmness. Its amazingly picturesque!


This is the quintessential image of Vals; A small little cottage next to a beautiful stream.


Daisies are in abundance everywhere in Switzerland and Germany and they grow in small little patches.



I took this picture with my friends digital SLR, and the daylight cooperated with me for about a minute and was able to take this close up of this beautiful flower


The Thermal Baths are nestled against the side of a hill and is cladded in horizontal strips of granite stone.



The windows are strategically place to allow daylight within certain areas of the baths and frame amazing views towards the exterior.




Zumthor creates amazing window details, where the face of the window is completely flush with the exterior face of the stone cladding.










The quality of light inside the baths is very sensual and calming at the same time. It creates and atmosphere that is conducive to relaxing.



Zumthor creates a theme of have penetrating from the edges of the concrete roof slabs, and creates beams of light that change throughout the day.




The architecture creates portals that frame views to the exterior and let the user focus on a specific part of the landscape.


This is inside the steam room. A cone of light pierces the pitch black space, and the room is equipment with a citrus-lavender aroma therapy that completes the whole experience.