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Abstract

It is the belief of many that architecture is an art which stimulates purely our vision,
yet most of our experience of a specific place has to do with how it interacts with
all our senses. We sense its odour, its temperature, the sound of it, the softness or
the weight of its materials and we make connection with our memories. This
interaction between man and architectural space is a mental phenomenon which is
conceived as the atmosphere of a specific spatial setting. We sense the atmosphere
before we actually identify the details of that place intellectually. The architectural
elements which compose the atmosphere of a place interact with our senses
stimulating our memory and our imagination.

The purpose of this paper is to examine three architectural elements, light, sound
and the shape of touch - as it is impossible to investigate all of them in one piece of
work - and how they can be used in the creation of atmosphere in an architectural
space. To this end, I will start by an examination of the theory of phenomenology
which is closely related to the senses and to the concept of atmosphere, focusing on
its relationship to the architectural setting as studied by the Finnish architect and
theorist Juhani Pallasmaa whose books about the importance of the senses,
especially the sense of touch, in the design of architecture have been considered
very influential in the design process. This will be followed by an investigation of the
concept of atmosphere and the elements that comprise it as studied by an
internationally acknowledged Swiss architect and architectural theorist, Peter
Zumthor who has written about the atmospheric qualities in architectural design
and how these qualities can stimulate our senses and stir our memory and our
imagination. Zumthor has maintained the belief that architecture must be a first-
hand experience in which all the senses are involved. This will be followed by the
main argument in which the architectural elements of light, sound and touch will be
identified and thoroughly examined in an attempt to comprehend how these
elements can contribute to the creation of atmosphere in an architectural setting.
Following the theoretical study, I will investigate one of Zumthor’s work, Therme
Vals, a hotel and spa built over a thermal spring in Switzerland in 1996. It is an
extraordinary achievement of modern architecture which opens all the senses

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offering a total sensory experience. The architect infused his design with a quality
of space and atmosphere, delivering a total atmospheric and meaningful experience.

I consider this study to be important as it will attempt to make people be aware of

how architecture can change our perception and understanding of space in various
haptic ways – not only through the visual form. Very often architecture focuses only
on the visual level of a project and does not involve the user on a deeper level which
engages all the senses. Experiencing a place with our senses is very important
because it creates both a conscious and a subconscious connection to space making
it a more fulfilling and memorable experience. This interaction of the senses with
space, gives a place its own identity and character which is its unique atmosphere.

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 Table of Contents

1. Introduction 5
1.1 Theory of phenomenology 6
1.2 Concept of atmosphere 6

2. The Power of Light 9

2.1 Qualities of light 10
2.2 Light and perception of scale and size 11
2.3 Light and colour 12
2.4 Silence and light 14
2.5 Light and shadow 15
2.6 Light and darkness 16
2.7 Light and materials 17

3. The Feel of Sound 21

3.1 Visualizing space through sound 22
3.2 Perceiving space through sound 23
3.3 The sound of tranquility 24

4. The Shape of Touch 27

4.1 Touch as a stimulus for the other senses 28
4.2 Touching space 28
4.3 Touch can read texture, weight, density and temperature 29
4.4 Touch connects us with history and tradition 30
Conclusion 31

5 Therme Vals, Switzerland, 1996 33

5.1 A unique piece of architecture 34
5.2 Peter Zumthor – An architect of the senses 34
5.3 A quick look into the past 35
5.4 Zumthor’s intention 35
5.5 Conceptual approach: Stone, Caves & Hollows 36
5.6 Locally quarried stone 37
5.7 Outdoor and indoor pools 39

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5.8 The transition to the interior 39
5.9 Like a puzzle 40
5.10 The meander - a walk in the woods 41
5.11 Spaces of light and shadow 42
5.12 Truth in materials 44
5.13 A totally atmospheric experience 46
Conclusion 47
Bibliography 49

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1. Introduction

"Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world, and this
mediation takes place through the senses." (Juhani Pallasmaa, 1996, p. )

We live in a world where the use of technology has taken us away from the natural
environment that is all around us. Architects have the responsibility to design using
concrete materials but they also have the responsibility to bring us back to our
natural surroundings and this can only be achieved if they design for our senses so as
to create experiences which speak to our feelings and which evoke our memory and
our imagination. Juhanni Pallasmaa the renowned theorist and architect argues that
contemporary architecture often focuses mainly on the visual aspect of architecture
and does not engage us more deeply on an experiential level. This causes us to feel
detached and alienated towards our surrounding world. Quality architecture involves
its users both mentally and physically and interacts with the senses creating a
memorable experience that goes beyond the tangible world. (Pallasmaa, 1996)
Peter Zumthor another great theorist and architect who has dealed with sensory
experience in architectural design, agrees with Pallasmaa, stating that good
architecture should engage the users on an experiential level offering them a multi-
sensory experience. According to Zumthor, this experiential approach to design, is
what creates the atmosphere of a specific space. The atmosphere of a place gives it
its identity and character. (Zumthor, 2006) It is an exchange between the building
and its surroundings and this is also communicated to its visitors. The concept of
atmosphere is based on the theory of phenomenology which involves the
interaction of material, space, light and shadow in an architectural setting, creating
one of the most memorable experiences by stimulating the human senses. Zumthor
has used the phenomenological approach to design through which he has created
great atmospheres. Therefore I will first briefly investigate the theory of
phenomenology in architecture as it is related to the concept of atmosphere
followed by an investigation of the concept of atmosphere in architecture. In the
main argument of this essay I will examine three architectural elements, light, sound
and the shape of touch, in an attempt to understand how they are used in the
formation of atmosphere in an architectural setting. Finally, I will explore one of

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Peter Zumthor’s most famous pieces of architecture, Thermes Vals built in a small
village in Vals, Switzerland. It is a modern structure built with local stone offering its
visitors a complete atmospheric experience. Through this exploration I will analyse
the architectural elements examined in Chapter Two and Three as they are applied in
the design process in order to gain an insight into the atmospheric dimension of our
sensory experiences of a place.

1.1 Phenomenology in Architecture

The theory of phenomenology is mainly a philosophical subject which was greatly

analysed by philosophers such as Kant and Hegel and later on by Heidegger,
Bachelard and Merleau-Ponty. It gives an emphasis on phenomena and how we
experience them through the senses. Phenomenology sees the world through
human experience and our senses. According to its philosophy, the world does not
exist without sensual experiences. The phenomenological study of something in the
world, is actually the study of our experiences in relation to it. (Holl, Pallasmaa,
Perez-Gomez, 2006, p. 41) In architecture, theorists and architects, such as Peter
Zumthor and Juhanni Pallasmaa, have used it as a theoretical concept in their design.
A phenomenological approach to design is when space, material, light and shadow
interact with one another, in order to create the most memorable experiences by
awakening the senses. (Holl, Pallasmaa, Perez-Gomez, 2006, p.45) In his book
‘Thinking Architecture’ Zumthor describes some memories he had as a child when
he experienced architecture without being aware of it through the texture of
materials such as touching a door handle or feeling the soft asphalt under his feet.
(Zumthor, 1999, p.10) Therefore, phenomenology in architecture integrates
perception of the built form through the senses, creating a memorable experience of
the phenomena of light and shadow, form and space.

1.2 The concept of atmosphere

The concept of atmosphere is closely related to the theory of phenomenology as it is

a mental process in which all the senses are involved. It has an immaterial and
experiential nature. It is definitely not a physical activity. It is a multisensory fusion
consisting of many factors which create the ambience or mood of a particular place.

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 According to Pallasmaa, this atmosphere is closely linked to the Genius Loci or the
Spirit of Place which also has an immaterial and experiential nature. (Pallasmaa,
2012) According to the Romans every person and every place have their genius
which is their guardian spirit. This spirit gives life to people and places and
determines their essence or character. It is with them from birth to death. Ancient
people experienced their surroundings as consisting of characters and it was
important for them to be in good terms with the genius of the place where they
lived. Their wellbeing depended on their relationship with the genius of their place,
both physically and in a psychic sense. Nowadays we could say that the genius loci
determines the atmosphere of a specific place. (Nordberg-Schulz, 1996, p.18) Many
people are fascinated by specific atmospheres of places, which have developed over
centuries and seem to convey a unity and an atmosphere. One can sense there,
harmony with human culture and nature. (Pallasmaa, 2012) According to Zumthor,
the overwhelming experience comes first before we are able to perceive the place
intellectually. We experience a building with our senses as soon as we enter it. We
feel its rough or smooth floor under our shoes, we can sense the sound of it, its
scent or its temperature. We feel the effort to ascend or descend a staircase. We
perceive our surroundings with our whole being. (Zumthor, 2006. p.13) Martin
Heidegger, the German philosopher linked space with man saying that when we
refer to space and man it seems that man is on one side and space is on the other
side. But it is not like that. Man and space are interconnected and there is an
interaction between the two. (Heidegger, 1971, p.334) It is a unique experience
which does not only involve our senses but it deals with other means of
experiencing a spatial setting such as illumination, scale, gravity, motion,
temperature, balance and orientation. This sensuous connection with the building

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can stir our imagination and can arouse our emotions and our memory. ( Pallasmaa,
can stir our imagination and can arouse our emotions and our memory. ( Pallasmaa,
1996) In his book ‘Atmospheres’ Zumthor describes a place, an ordinary place with
1996) In his book ‘Atmospheres’ Zumthor describes a place, an ordinary place with
nothing extraordinary or majestic but still with an atmosphere. (Fig. 1) A place with a
nothing extraordinary or majestic but still with an atmosphere. (Fig. 1) A place with a
square in the middle and a bronze figure in the centre, a coffee-shop where
square in the middle and a bronze figure in the centre, a coffee-shop where
someone is sitting at a small table, drinking his coffee and gazing at his surroundings,
someone is sitting at a small table, drinking his coffee and gazing at his surroundings,
two nuns passing by talking and waving their hands, the noise of footsteps on stone,
two nuns passing by talking and waving their hands, the noise of footsteps on stone,
no noise of engines, a pleasant temperature and a church on the other side with two
no noise of engines, a pleasant temperature and a church on the other side with two
unequal columns. If you try to take away the square, the magic of it disappears.
unequal columns.
(Zumthor, If you
1999, p. 14) try to take away
Therefore, the constitutes
what square, the the
magic of it disappears.
atmosphere of an
(Zumthor, 1999,
architectural space p. is 14)
not what
Therefore, what the
will impress constitutes the atmosphere
eye but what of our
will appeal to an
architectural space is not what will impress the eye but what will appeal to our
senses evoking our memory and causing us to ‘feel’. The atmosphere of a place is
senses evoking our memory and causing us to ‘feel’. The atmosphere of a place is
an interaction between the immaterial dimension of human perception and the
an interaction
material between
qualities the particular
of that immaterial dimension
space. The of human perception
architectural and
elements the
which
material qualities of that particular space. The architectural elements which
constitute the atmosphere of an architectural setting, create an architecture that is
constitute the atmosphere of an architectural setting, create an architecture that is
well rooted in its surroundings and give a place its own identity and character.
well rooted 2006)
(Zumthor, in its But
surroundings and the
which are give architectural
a place its own identity
elements and create
that character.
the
(Zumthor, 2006) But which are the architectural elements that create the
atmosphere of a place? According to Zumthor the body of architecture, materiality,
atmosphere of a place? According to Zumthor the body of architecture, materiality,
light, sound, the shape of touch, scent, movement, temperature, size, mass, density
light, sound, the shape of touch, scent, movement, temperature, size, mass, density
and gravity play an important role in the experiential approach to architecture.
and gravity 2006)
(Zumthor, play an important
Each element role in the experiential
contributes in its own approach to architecture.
way in the creation of
(Zumthor, 2006) Each element contributes in its own way in the creation of
ambience and mood in a specific space. In this essay I will investigate three of these
ambience and mood in a specific space. In this essay I will investigate three of these
elements, light sound and touch as they are used in the experiential approach and
elements, light sound and touch as they are used in the experiential approach and
the creation of atmosphere in architecture.
the creation of atmosphere in architecture.

Fig. 1: Durham Market Place Square.

Fig. 1: Durham Market Place Square.
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 2. The power of light

“ … we were born of light. The seasons are felt through light. We only
know the world as it is evoked by light, and from this comes the thought
that material is spent light. To me, natural light is the only light
because it has mood. It provides a ground of common agreement for
man, it puts us in touch with the eternal. Natural light is the only light
that makes architecture architecture …” (Plummer, 1987, p.135)

Louis Kahn

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2.1 Qualities of light
Juhanni Pallasmaa describes light as being the element in space which very often
determines how we feel . Who does not feel exhilarated with the first light of the
rising sun or the romantic and pale light of the setting sun, the silverish light of the
moon at night? The light of the sun is constantly changing in tone, intensity and focus
following its position in the sky and casts its shadow on the earth. Our sensual
experiences and our whole being, as all beings on the planet, are calibrated to the
cycle of sunlight, every day and every season. (Pallasmaa, 1994) The light that the sun
casts on things gives you a feeling that there is something beyond you. Peter Zumthor
describes light as an element which has a spiritual quality. It can be moving and
exhilarating and can inspire feelings of serenity and calmness. Due to its mystifying
quality, it is often used in places of worship. (Zumthor, 2006) In ancient Greece the
sun was greatly respected for its spirituality and was always considered in the
architecture of sacred places.(Fig. 2) The Greeks designed the front façade of their
sacred places to the east and carried out their ceremonies early in the morning when
the first light of the rising sun would illuminate the façade creating an ecstatic mood
and an atmosphere of divinity (Vassella, 1969)

Fig. 2: Temple of Hyfaistos,

According to Pallasmaa, light is in control of all the processes of life. Even the physical
activities of our bodies are dependent on light and this can have an effect on our
temper, our mood or our energy. Studies have shown that natural light can boost
students’ performance and can accelerate patients’ recovery in hospital. Yet our culture
and our way of life have distorted our relationship with the natural light. We receive
very little sunlight during daytime and too much artificial light in the night. (Pallasmaa,

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 1994) Architect Louis Kahn reinforces this idea by saying that natural light can affect
our emotional responses and is responsible for our wellbeing. Therefore, it must be an
essential tool in the hands of an architect as it enables us to see and feel or experience a
particular spatial setting. According to architect Louis Kahn, if there is no light then there
is no architecture. Therefore we could say that light plays the most important role in the
conditioning of atmosphere in an architectural space. It is the most substantial criteria
of the identity and character of a place. (Kahn, 1969)

2.2 Light and perception of scale and size

"Architecture is the masterly, correct, and magnificent play of masses brought together
in light. Our eyes are made to see forms in light; light and shade reveal these forms.“
(Le Corbusier, 1927, p.31)

Although light has got no material substance, Zumthor considers it to be an essential

architectural element in creating meaningful spaces . Light interacts with our sense of
vision which in its turn, stimulates the other senses causing a multi-sensory experience.
How we perceive the architecture of a place is influenced by light. Therefore light is very
often used as a building material setting the boundaries or defining zones of a particular
space. For example, light entering a building through a skylight connects the interior
space with the exterior, extending the boundaries of the building upwards towards the
sky. An example of this is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, designed
by Frank Lloyd Wright in 2004. The sky light designed on the ceiling of the last floor of
the building (Figs. 3 & 4) , does not only serve as a source of light for the building, but it
also extends the boundaries of the building, enlarging the space and creating a sense of
monumentality.

Figs. 3 & 4: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright

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 Or light coming in through an extensive glass window can blend the inside with the
outside extending the boundaries outwards and integrating the building with its
surroundings. (Zumthor, 2006) . This can be achieved through wide openings on the
walls or extensive glass windows. Villa Savoye in France designed by Le Corbusier in
1927. (Fig. 5) has strips of ribbon windows covering the external walls which play with
the perception of the interior and exterior space. This integration of indoor and
outdoor spaces becomes fully expressed once you are found inside. (Fig. 6)

(Le Corbusier, 1927)

Fig. 5: Villa Savoye, external view Fig. 6: Villa Savoye, internal view

Therefore, light is a powerful architectural tool as it directs movement and creates

points of focus and importance in the building affecting the way that we perceive scale
and size.

2.3 Light and colour

The interplay of light and colour , can also play an important role in the way we
perceive space . When light interacts with colour it can create powerful atmospheric
spaces. An example is the Matisse Chapel in Vence where the coloured windows
transform light into colourful air, evoking an exhilarating sensation making you feel as
if you are floating in a transparent liquid which is filled with colours creating the most
euphoric feelings and emotions. (Fig. 7) It is a sensation which is caused by an
interplay of light and colour and which heightens the immateriality of light projecting
a cosmic atmosphere and ambience. (Dwelling in Light, 2016)

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Fig. 7: Matisse Chapel , Vence

Similarly, in gothic temples, the supernatural light which passes through the stained
glass windows is a breath-taking phenomenon. The interaction of sunlight with the
colours of the stained glass creates such an intense spiritual experience that scenes
from the scriptures seem to appear in front of the eyes of the believers, revealing a
mystical world. (Fig. 8) (Dwelling in Light, 2016)

Fig.8: Stained glass windows

Thus, the mixture of light and colour and the way that light is reflected on a coloured
surface can create unexpected materialisations which affect the way we perceive space.

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 2.4 Silence and light

According to Louis Kahn, light is not the commencement of existence. The

commencement of existence is non-existence. What does not exist yet, is called
Silence and what exists is called Light. What actually makes something move from
Silence to Light is Art. Therefore, the Architect’s task is to bring something from
silence to light which means to bring it into realization and then into material. For
Kahn light has got an immaterial realm. The material starts where the light stops.
Where an architect draws a line the light is not. So the material is actually spent light.
For example, two columns one next to the other are spent light and between them
there is light. So there is no-light and light and again no-light and light. It is a rhythmic
beauty of light just like in a forest where there is a tree and then there is light, a tree
and then light.(Fig. 9) (Lobell, 1979) The same concept can be applied in design as for
example a building which has got columns. Where there is a column there is spent
light and then light comes in between. So there is a rhythm of spent light and light and
spent light and light. (Fig. 10)

Fig. 9: Silence and Light Fig. 10: The National Building Museum,
Washington

In the Church of Light in Japan, designed by Tadao Ando in
1989, light enters the church through a crucifix in the concrete
wall behind the altar which extends from the ground to the
ceiling and is in contrast with the darkness of the wall. (Fig. 11)
The divine light entering the wall is actually determining the
shape of the concrete wall and is offering a spiritual
experience to the visitors. (Holl, 2006) Therefore the choice
of a shape is actually the choice of its light as compared to Fig. 11: Church of Light, 1989.
Tadao Ando
other shapes and their own light.

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 2.5 Light and shadow

In architectural design light is expected to have the leading role, but the shadow has
an equally important role to play. It coexists with light. The shadow immerges
because of the interaction there is between light and material. As mentioned
before, according to Kahn, all material is made of light even we, humans. We are all
made of spent light. This spent light which is the material, creates a shadow and
this shadow belongs to the light. Light is the creator of material, and the purpose of
the material is to create a shadow. For example, light makes a mountain and the
mountain casts a shadow. The interaction of light and shadow connects an
architectural setting with the natural world, with the time of the year, of the season,
of the day. The existence of the shadow heightens the existence of the light.
Together, they give a space, a surface or a volume, their identity and character and
most importantly they reveal the texture, the weight, the form, the smoothness, or
the hardness and the temperature of a specific space. As Kahn argues, the purpose
of the light is to create shadows and the shadows are created to form an
atmosphere, a certain ambience or mood which will evoke a different experience
each time depending on the time of day or year as the sun changes all the time.
(Kahn, 1969)

Fig. 12: Indian Institute of Management
Louis Kahn
Light and shadow can create sub-spaces from spaces and their interaction gives the
place a sense of scale and rhythm creating a mood and an atmosphere. (Fig. 12)

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2.6 Light and darkness

Peter Zumthor was a follower of Louis Kahn and included shadow in his designs
giving form to silent spaces. Yet he has a slightly different approach to design in
terms of darkness, light and shadow. For Zumthor, the primary design of a building
is a pure mass of darkness in which the light just penetrates to form a new mass in
the shadow. Darkness is what comes first and it is very important. Light comes
subsequently. Anything which is white and bright and is placed in darkness can be
seen as a mass. If it becomes black again it disappears. An enormous roof made of

Fig. 13: Alhambra Palace in Cordoba

wood can be overpowering when you are indoors. But when the roof is painted
black, it becomes dark and it vanishes, it goes away. The roof of Alhambra Palace in
Cordoba (Fig. 13 ) was painted black so as to give dominance to the surrounding
walls and to make the roof look insignificant, to make it disappear. Yet a room which
is supposed to be dark, should have a crack of light in order that we can actually
conceive its darkness. In the Kolumba Museum designed by Zumthor in 2003-7,
there’s a room which is entirely black. Walls, ceiling, and floor are completely black.
The edges of the room cannot be seen. The whole room is submerged in darkness.
Only the display cases are lit bringing the objects and the glass to light. Everything
else vanishes in darkness.(Fig.14) (Zumthor, 2012) As Zumthor argues, darkness is
the primary element in architecture and then you let light enter. Without darkness,
light cannot become a mass in the shadow. Therefore, darkness interacts with light

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 to create a mass in the shadow. If the mass becomes black again it simply
disappears. (Zumthor, 2012)
to create a mass in the shadow. If the mass becomes black again it simply
disappears. (Zumthor, 2012)

Fig.14 : Columba Museum, Cologne, Zumthor 2007

Fig.14 : Columba Museum, Cologne, Zumthor 2007

2.7 Light and materials

2.7 Light and materials

Light plays an important role on how we perceive and experience materials in an
architectural space. Natural materials like brick, wood, stone, glass or even cloth can
Light plays an important role on how we perceive and experience materials in an
each bring out a different quality in a spatial setting. Yet, what is important is that
architectural space. Natural materials like brick, wood, stone, glass or even cloth can
the result mainly depends on how they interact with light. An appropriate use of
each bring out a different quality in a spatial setting. Yet, what is important is that
materials and the right amount of lighting, will have a positive effect on us, arousing
the result mainly depends on how they interact with light. An appropriate use of
our feelings and creating an atmospheric mood. Various materials appear different in
materials and the right amount of lighting, will have a positive effect on us, arousing
shadow or when light falls on them. So, some materials need shading and some
our feelings and creating an atmospheric mood. Various materials appear different in
others need to be lit. For example, a wooden bar coated with a gold leaf, can shine
shadow or when light falls on them. So, some materials need shading and some
beautifully from the back of a dark room because gold can take the tiniest glimpse of
others need to be lit. For example, a wooden bar coated with a gold leaf, can shine
light and reflect it amazingly. (Fig. 15) To design buildings we should choose materials
beautifully from the back of a dark room because gold can take the tiniest glimpse of
not just from their appearance but from the way they react to light creating shades
light and reflect it amazingly. (Fig. 15) To design buildings we should choose materials
not just from their appearance but from the way they react to light creating shades

Fig. 15:Dale Chilhuly: Niijima Floats (1992).

Fig. 15:Dale Chilhuly: Niijima Floats (1992).
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and shadows which then interact with our feelings and our memory. (Zumthor,
2012) In the Brother Klaus Field Chapel, 2007,(Fig. 16) Peter Zumthor used 112 tree
trunks to form the frame of the building. Then he poured layers of concrete on top of
the existing surface and set the tree trunks on fire. The result was amazing. The
interaction of the tree-textured walls with light entering the open skylight resemble
the glare of a star evoking feelings of ecstasy and mysticism. (Sveiven, M. Jan 2011)

Fig. 16: Brother Klaus Field Chapel, Zumthor, 2007

Artificial light can also be a great tool in the hands of an architect, yet, nothing can
compare it to the magic effect that natural light can have on materials. (Zumthor,
2006) According to Pallasmaa, natural materials, like stone or marble when
combined with light, can bring meaning and sensuousness to a building creating a
mood and building memories. Natural materials express their age and the story of
their origins. The light that falls on them allows our vision to penetrate their surface to
ascertain their genuineness, their truth. (Pallasmaa,1996) Natural materials interact
with one another and become radiant creating a unique composition. There is an
endless choice of materiality. For instance, you can grind a piece of wood and reshape
it accordingly, you can polish it or burn it to make it something different. Put it into
light and it becomes something else once more. Of course what we need to do, is to
match and use appropriate materials in light. We should always ask ourselves whether
the use of specific materials and their combination with light, could have a meaning in

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 an architectural setting. (Zumthor, 2006) For instance, in the Kimbell Art Museum in
Texas, 1972, Louis Kahn selected travertine marble and concrete as materials. The arch
is made of concrete and the walls are made of travertine. (Fig.17) Kahn used
unpolished travertine which reacts with light in a way that complements the way that
concrete reacts to light. As light changes the marble looks warmer and lighter than the
concrete. The marble has a glossy surface and the concrete a matte surface. And then
they shift. The surfaces of the two materials respond to light that changes
accordingly. Their contrasts are either emphasized or they appear to integrate into
each other as light changes. The actual material is light here. (Cummings, 1989)

Fig. 17: Kimbell Art Museum, Louis Kahn

Therefore, it is important to try and bring out the particular meaning of materials in a
building, so that they are only perceived in this way, in this particular architectural
setting creating feelings and evoking our memory. (Zumthor, 2006) The goal is to
create an atmospheric space where the appropriate amount of light is flowing and
interacting with natural materials which allow us to interact with the space we are
found in, evoking emotions and creating meaningful and memorable places.

As Peter Zumthor describes, “Daylight, the light on things, is so moving to me that I

feel almost a spiritual quality……It gives me the feeling there’s something beyond me,
something beyond all understanding.”(Zumthor, 2006, p.61)

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 3. The power of Sound

“…the eye reaches, but the ear receives.”

(Pallasmaa, 1996, p.49)

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3.1 Visualizing space through sound

The essence of hearing in our experience with space is usually underestimated. Yet,
sound is the element that stimulates our eyes to visualize the space we are found in.
Even the sound of water drops in the darkness can make the ear carve a volume into
the dark emptiness. According to Pallasmaa, without sound, space would have no
essence. For instance, the soundtrack of a movie is the means which actually gives a
sense of life to a particular scene. For this reason actors in silent films used to
overact in order to make up for the lack of sound. In a cathedral our gaze moves
around lonesomely in the space while the sound of the organ creates a feeling of
connection with the space. At the end of a stage performance, actors have a feeling
of euphoria and feel one with the crowd, only when they hear the sound of the
applause of the audience. Moreover, the echo of our footsteps on the pavement
bouncing back to our ears causes us to interact directly with the space. (Pallasmaa,
1994, p.49). Similarly, spaces in an architectural setting have a sound. Buildings do
not respond to our gaze but they send the sound that we make back to us. Such
spaces can be compared to an instrument which grasps the sound amplifies it and
transmits it. Pallasmaa believes that each space and building have their own, unique
sound which can be monumental, intimate, hospitable or even hostile. Even the
stillness and the emptiness of the void can have its own sound through the scale
and the body of that particular empty space. (Pallasmaa, 1996, p.50) Our ears
receive the impact of the length, width and form of a specific architectural place.

Fig. 18: Notre-Dame de Reims, 12th - 13th century

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 Significantly, in a gothic cathedral we can ‘hear’ the shape of the cathedral through
its powerful and evocative echo. The sound of the organ can mark the volume and
height of the cathedral and the sound of our footsteps on its marbled floor reflected
back by the walls create a pleasant and spatial experience. (Fig. 18) (Dwelling in
light, 2012) Therefore, we could say that sound stimulates our sense of vision and it
remains as an unconscious experience in the background of our mind. As Pallasmaa
says, “…the eye reaches, but the ear receives.”(Pallasmaa, 1996, p.49)

3.2 The sound of materiality and scale

Although we all agree that sound is not visible, it can actually affect our perception
of the spatial setting we are found in. A perception of sound does not only go
through our ears but through our whole body as well. Every single part of our body
is involved in this acoustic experience, each part perceiving sound in a different way.
This specific sound is linked to the shape of a building, the materials that are found
herein and how they are placed together. Yet, an empty space can also possess its
own unique sound, depending on its shape and it scale. We can easily remember the
harshness of the sound of an uninhabited, empty house as compared to the softness
of the sound of a lived house which is created by the various objects which belong to
the inhabitants of the house. (Pallasmaa, 1996, p.51)
A dramatic auditory experience can be sensed in the Jewish museum in Berlin
designed by Daniel Libeskind in 1999. He designed some rooms which he called

Fig. 19: The Jewish Museum in Berlin.

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voids. In these voids he put various installations and in one of these rooms he put
copper plates having the shape of desperate looking faces . The visitors have to walk
over the faces and a sound is heard giving an echo which fills up the space. This
installation aims at reminding people of the holocaust of the Jewish people during
the Second World War and the echo of the footsteps on the copper plates, evokes
the memory of the visitors, making them be aware of the desperate cries of all the
people who lost their lives in concentration camps. (Fig. 19) Thus, materiality, scale
and our memory are elements that create a sound in a spatial setting which can have
an effect on our whole body. It depends on ourselves how we perceive and interact
with the specific sounds which are found in a specific place. (Pallasmaa, 1996, p.50)

3.3 The sound of tranquility

According to Pallasmaa, we live in an environment which is much too loud and our
ears cannot understand the volume of a particular space. Our ears are ‘blinded’ by
the constant noise which is at the background of our everyday life. When sound
becomes noise, it can have an impact on our psychological and physical health,
causing irritation and stress. A loud constant noise may even cause a headache and
other stress-related symptoms. Any sound which is not natural can have a negative
effect on our body. (Pallasmaa, 1996, p.51) A powerful auditory experience of an
architectural setting, has the ability to quieten all noise coming from the outside
creating a connection with the space in which we are. Tranquility in architecture is
one of the most powerful auditory experiences. In ancient times, the element of
silence was used to evoke an atmospheric mood or ambience. In the Pantheon in
Paris, (Fig. 18) the divine feeling of silence in combination with the view of the
imposing roof is an incredible experience. What creates the mood is the total
absence of any sound. (Pallasmaa, 1996, p.52)

Fig. 20: The Pantheon in Paris, 1757
- 24 -
 Therefore the most important acoustic quality of architecture is tranquility. When
we manage to achieve tranquility and silence, our ears are able to define and
interact with space without relying on our eyes. As Zumthor said, ‘To me, buildings
can have a beautiful silence that I associate with attributes such as composure, self-
evidence, durability, presence and integrity, and with warmth and sensuousness as
well; a building that is being itself, being a building, not representing anything, just
being. ‘ Zumthor, 1999, p.31)

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- 26 -
 4. The power of touch

‘ The tactile sense connects us with time and

tradition: through impressions of touch we
shake the hands of countless generations.’

(Pallasmaa, 1996, p.56)

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4.1 Touch as a stimulus for the other senses
The tactile sense should not be underestimated in the creation of meaningful and
memorable spaces. Feeling a smooth or a rough surface, judging the weight, the density,
the texture, or the temperature of an architectural space is connected to the sense of
touch. The sense of touch inspires intimacy and affection while vision is the tool for
distance. Vision observes whereas touch approaches creating feelings and emotions. As
Pallasmaa says, the oldest organ of our body is our skin which protects us and guards us
more effectively than any other organ. Touch is more accurate than vision and is less
likely to make a mistake. Vision can touch distance but tactility can see the closeness.
Therefore the sense of touch can be regarded as the dominant sense which is in control
of all our senses. This is contrary to the belief of modernist artists who considered vision
to be the dominant sense of all. Yet, all great modernist architects had a great sense of
plasticity, materiality and gravity in their work. In Le Corbusier’s drawings and sketches
there was a strong presence of the element of tactility, a characteristic which he
incorporated in his regard for architecture. Therefore the touching experience has got a
powerful impact on a particular space because it acts as a stimulus on all the other
senses, including our vision. (Pallasmaa, 1996)

4.2 Touching space

But how do we touch a space we are found in? The most spontaneous answer would be
with our hands. It is true that we use our hands to find out about the properties of a
material – shape, texture, weight etc. Besides, the hand is the primary part of our body
that we use to perceive our surroundings. The hand has a history, a culture and a unique
beauty. With every movement the hand goes through a thinking process. It is an organ
which can grasp and hold. Yet, we can use other parts of our body to interact with space
in many ways. With our whole body we can sense if there is bright sunlight in a particular
space or if there is little sunlight. When we open the door the weight of our body touches
the weight of the door, our legs feel the steps as we go up the staircase. Our whole body

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 Is involved in this promenade in space. Therefore, touching space causes our body to
interact with all the elements that compose an architectural setting creating a stronger
experience than the mere gaze of the elements. So architecture ought to focus on an
architectural scale and context in which the body feels relaxed and free. (Pallasmaa,
1996) ‘ We feel pleasure and protection when the body discovers its resonance in space.”
(Juhani Pallasmaa, 46-47)

Fig. 21: The touch of the hand

4.3 Touch can read texture, weight, density and temperature

Various structures have an effect on our vision but when we touch them we can feel
their elements of construction. Our skin has the ability to read the density, the
texture, the temperature and the weight of materials which may not look different
visually. By touching them we find out more about them than by just looking at

Fig. 22: The Holocaust memorial, Berlin
- 29 -
them. We can experience the floor under our feet, feeling its smoothness or
roughness. We trace the texture of it with our soles, with our knees when we kneel,
with our whole body when we lie down. (Fig. 22) In fact, we begin to have an
immediate experience of a specific space from the instant we touch the handle of
the door to go into it, although we are not conscious of it at that moment. By
touching the handle of the door we shake hands with the building and start a
conversation with it. The smoothness of its touch, its size or the shine of the
material can create a connection between us and the building. (Pallasmaa, 1996 )

4.4 Touch connects us with history and tradition
In fact, tactility connects us with history and tradition. By touching a pebble lying on
the sand which has been polished through time by the water of the sea, does not
only have a pleasing effect to the touch but the contact between our hand and its
surface also reveals the process and the time needed for its formation. Its shape and
texture reveals time. (Pallasmaa, 1996) Therefore, touching materials that are
genuine and true does not only create an atmospheric mood in the architectural
space but it also reveals the past offering a unique experience. An architectural
example of this is the holocaust memorial in Berlin designed by Peter Eisenman.(Fig.
23) It consists of 2,711 concrete blocks of charcoal colour, representing the six
million Jewish people who lost their lives during the Second World War. The cold and

Fig. 23: The Holocaust memorial, Berlin

confusing atmosphere of the space, makes the visitors want to explore the place
more. Walking between the blocks, feeling the rough concrete under their feet,

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 hiding or getting lost behind the stones, is a disorienting and unpleasant experience
which gives them a very small idea of the feelings of the Jewish people and the tragic
experience they went through during the Second World War. By actually touching
the cold stones, the emotions are more powerful, as one can feel on the skin the
coldness and smoothness of the concrete and the sprayed foam which feel like
tombstones in a graveyard. It is one of the most sensory and overwhelming
experiences, evoking the memory and creating an appropriate mood or ambience.
Therefore by touching material, our experience is more intense and it relates us to
the past evoking feelings and emotions. (Pallasmaa, 1996)

Conclusion
Creating places with meaning and context that speak to our senses should be the aim
of every architect. Very often contemporary architecture focuses only on the visual
aspect of a building. As Peter Zumthor says, designing a building is not all about
form but about creating a place with atmosphere that evokes feelings and emotions,
and that relates us to the past and to history. What the feeling is, does not make a
difference, as long as it is experienced. Experiencing a building means engaging our
senses and being aware of our presence in the world. This multi-sensory fusion is
perceived as an atmosphere which is mainly a mental phenomenon. Without
atmosphere, a place is just several elements put together. Light, sound and touch are
three elements which have the ability to create an ambience or change a mood in an
architectural space. They can be used and manipulated by the architect, inspiring
different feelings and emotions each time. The mystical power of light, the sound of
tranquillity and the powerful impact of the touching experience can interact with our
whole body and our senses, evoking feelings of serenity, nostalgia, relaxation and
calmness or feelings relating us to the past, connecting us to history and tradition.
Therefore, light sound and the shape of touch can be used as architectural elements to
create meaningful spaces of identity and character or simply to create an atmosphere.
(Zumthor, 2006)

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- 32 -


5. Thermes Vals in Switzerland, 1996

Fig. 24: The only façade

‘I believe that buildings only be accepted by their surroundings if

they have the ability to appeal to our emotions and minds in
various ways. Since our feelings and understandings are rooted
in the past, our sensuous connections with the building must
respect the process of remembering…’
(Zumthor, 1999, p.18)







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5.1 A unique piece of architecture

I have chosen to explore this unique piece of architecture as it has been widely
exalted for the atmosphere it has given to the place it stands on. Designed by the
renowned architect Peter Zumthor in 1996, it was built over the thermal springs in
Graubünden Canton in Switzerland. The Therme Vals, (Fig.25) is a hotel and a spa

Fig. 25: Born from the mountain

and combines a complete sensory experience, interacting with the elements of light
and shadow, sound and touch, offering visitors an unforgettable atmospheric
experience.

5.2 Peter Zumthor – An architect of the senses

Peter Zumthor who is a Swiss architect of the 2ist
century, has been distinguished and mostly appreciated
for his atmospheric buildings. A winner of the Pritzker
award, 2009, Zumthor gives emphasis on the sensory
and experiential qualities of a building rather than the
Fig. 26. Peter Zumthor
technological and theoretical approach which is
normally the focus of other contemporary architects. Zumthor was greatly
influenced by the philosopher Martin Heidegger and his theories on phenomenology.
He believes that a person should have a first-hand experience with a building in
order to fully understand it. His precision and perfection in the use of natural
materials has been attributed to the fact that he had worked as a carpenter during
his adolescent years, gaining great understanding of materials. (Spotlight, 2017) Not

- 34 -
 focusing on style or aesthetic, his buildings have a minimalistic feel and are
characterized by an air of mysticism and spirituality, focusing on experience and
context in which all the senses are involved. It is a meaningful architecture which
aims at creating an atmosphere and a memorable experience. This is what Thermes
Vals is all about. A powerful presence that speaks to the senses. (Willjamn, 2013)

5.3 A quick look into the past

One hundred years ago hot springs Fig. 27: Pre-existing hotel
were found in the mountainous
area and in 1960 a German
property company built a hotel of
270 rooms in five buildings. A spa
was also constructed to offer
hydrotherapy. In the mid 80’s the
local authorities decided to
develop the area and exploit the gift that Nature had offered them. So the
authorities of the Vals community made the decision to create a thermal bath which
would be unique and related to their valley and their mountain, offering an
atmospheric experience through bathing. (Archdaily, 2009)

5.4 Zumthor’s intention

Zumthor’s intention was to create a building and set it into the mountain having an
attitude older than anything else already constructed in the surrounding area. A
structure that would relate to the geology and the topography of the place which
consisted of masses of stone pressed and often broken into a multitude of plates.
His idea was to design there a building where visitors would rediscover the ancient

Fig. 28: A roman bath

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benefits of bathing which were a tradition during the roman period. It was an
intriguing idea for Zumthor, as the whole process would symbolize the notion of
purity and baptism.(Spotlight, 2017) He reflected on the history of bathing in
architecture and the qualities of a space which would come into contact with the
skin of the visitors who would bathe in it. He considered the quality of light and the
sounds that would be in the space and the comfort and privacy which should be
offered to the bathers. (Zumthor, 2007, p.18) He was inspired by the qualities of an
Oriental bath. Light from the glass cupola illuminating a room designed for bathing,
stone basins filled with water and rising steam in dimly-lit spaces. A relaxed
atmosphere in which rooms could be seen in the shadows and the sound of water
and the echo of the rooms filling the space. A complete mystical experience of
stone, water and the senses. (Zumthor, 2007, p.19)

5.5 Conceptual approach: Stone, caves and hollows

‘Mountain, stone, water – building in the stone, building with the stone, into the
mountain, building out of the mountain, being inside the mountain – how can the
implications and the sensuality of the association of these words be interpreted,
architecturally?’ Peter Zumthor (Zumthor, 2007, p.51)

Zumthor was inspired by the history of the area and its geology and the stone
landscape with its natural colours, so his conceptual idea of the building focused on

Fig. 29: Buried into the mountain

that. The principle of his design was a huge monolith which would grow out of the
mountain in which hollows would be carved from the inside, from the top and from
the mountain. He designed a cave-like structure, like a mass of rock coming out of

- 36 -
 the mountain, stone and water being the primary elements for the construction.
Square stones, caves and between the square stones, a hollow which is open to the
sky and the beautiful view of the mountain. These are the three elements that
formed the basis of the conceptual approach to the design. Working with the
natural surroundings, he roofed his structure with a grass-topped roof consisting of
geometrical units separated by glass gap-lines through which the light would
penetrate into the interior creating patterns and shapes. The whole structure is half
buried into the hillside and the transition of the building to the landscape can barely

Fig. 30: Geometrical patterns on grass-roofed top

be perceived. Only these geometrical units on the grass roof reveal the presence of
a building there. The structure looks as if it has been there forever which was
Zumthor’s aim, telling the story of the hot springs and the whole area. (Zumthor,
2007, p.36)

5.6 Locally quarried stone

Zumthor was fascinated by the locally quarried stone which was the inspiration of his
design. He used it with respect and dignity. 60,000 individual stone tiles which
came from the mountain, create a special bond between the building and the forces

Fig. 31 : Locally quarried stone
- 37 -
of nature and the geology of the landscape, interacting with the impressive
topography of the area and the warm spring, which comes out of the
mountain. The colours of the stone which vary depending on the light and
time of day, follow the same rhythm of the stone mountains of the
surrounding landscape. (Archdaily, 2009)

Fig. 32: Stone, water and mountain

On the only façade of the building which has got no door, just wide openings,
terraces and windows, the grandeur and symmetry of the stones, their colour and
texture follow the living rhythm of the natural environment around them. The

Fig. 33: No doors on the façade

concrete structure literally immerges out of the mountain and is in open dialogue
with the alpine landscape and the valley below. Due to the resemblance of the
stone to marble, Zumthor used the same stone inside the building forming the walls
around rooms just like walls of a temple dedicated to the senses. (Spotlight, 2017)

- 38 -
 5.7 Outdoor and indoor pools

When approaching the building one can see a large pool of irregular shape on the
exterior. The aromatic steam above the surface of the water of the outdoor pool,
interacts with the mist covering the snowy mountains offering a memorable
experience. There are high walls around the pool which give the impression that the
pool has been naturally carved out of the mountain. The feeling of the warm water
on the skin, the sound of the running water and the misty atmosphere all interact
with the senses creating an air of mysticism and serenity. Visitors can use a narrow
corridor which leads them from the outdoor pool to an indoor pool that has the
same temperature as the outdoor pool, 32 C. It is a transition from a more public
place to a more intimate one, through the narrow dimly-lit space where light and
shadow play a game with the visitors. This changes completely the mood and
prepares them for a more mystical experience. (Archdaily, 2009)














Fig. 34: Outdoor baths



5.8 The transition to the interior

As the whole idea was to intrigue the senses, Zumthor created an entrance at the
most unexpected place, through an underground tunnel which connects the hotel
with the bath. Visitors pass through a cave-like reception area and reach the
Fountain Hall, a hallway covered in mist. Water flows from pipes along the wall

- 39 -
before reaching the changing rooms. While walking through the narrow
underground corridor all the senses interact with one another. The sound of running

Fig. 35: the transition

water over stone, the echo of laughter and voices which cannot be seen yet, the
smell of minerals in the air and pockets of light and shadow create a sensuous
experience in the space. It is a transitional space which creates a feeling of
anticipation and curiosity. (Archdaily, 2009)

5.9 Like a puzzle

The structure consists of blocks of stone, caves, hollows and water. The whole
building consists of 15 rectangular stone blocks of different sizes that fit in like a
puzzle and are separated from each other by glass light gaps. Each block of stone is a
hidden world not perceived on the outside which offers a different sensual
experience to the bathers. There are four smaller pools in four of these stone blocks
and in each pool the water has a different temperature which is indicated by a
change in colour. In the Fire bath, for instance, where the water is hot, the lighting is

Fig. 36: Conceptual plan
- 40 -
 red and where the water is cold the colour of the lights is blue. Zumthor has
designed each space to offer a unique sensation to the bathers at a different
temperature and a different texture . Every unit has a name which defines its
content. The Sound Bath has an interior which creates a unique sense of sound so
bathers make various sounds to hear them in the isolated space. The vibrations of the
sound is like a soothing massage on the body of the bathers. The drinking stone unit

Fig. 37: Going from cold to hot

provides spring water from the fountain into brass cups satisfying the sense of taste.
The Flower Bath is an area which inspires an air of magic as there are flower petals
flowing in water, their fragrance filling the room. Such sweet perfumes take us back
to the Middle Ages when it was a common habit in public baths. All perception in
the baths appears to be intensified, stimulating the senses. Zumthor plays with
light, colour, temperature, sound, taste and scent to create an atmosphere and an
ambience . He uses elements that exist in nature, such as water, stone, and flowers
to arouse our emotions creating feelings of freedom and relaxation and heightening
the mood. (Zumthor, 2007, p.62)

5.10 The meander - a walk in the woods

The interior space is designed in such a way so as to lead visitors to particular points
in the building but allow them at the same time to explore other points themselves.
Between the blocks there is the ‘meander’, a space which flows in the whole building
and connects everything in a rhythmic and peaceful manner. There is not a specific
course to follow. The bather just follows his instinct and takes a path of his own, as

- 41 -
if it is a walk in the woods, feeling free to explore and experience each space the way
he likes. Zumthor has succeeded in creating the cave-like experience as the bathers

Fig. 38: A walk in the woods

wander around in the bath where in every turn they experience something new, the
dominating sense being different every time. (Archdaily, 2009)

5.11 Spaces of light and shadow

The phenomenon of light and shadow is dominant in the building. The same area
can create a different impression and interact with our senses just by
simply changing the location and amount of lighting in the space.
Zumthor uses light in terms of quality, not quantity. In the spa the
concentrated light in different directions allows the bathers to see, touch
and experience the form and texture of a particular space, arousing
emotions and memories. (Spotlight, 2017)
The main interior pool is defined by huge columns which create patterns of light and

- 42 -
 shadow. Of course, Zumthor’s intention was not to decide shadow but to allow the
light and consequently the view to come in from the outside, creating a sensuous
experience. (Phaidon, 2013). As discussed in chapter 2, for Zumthor, the primary
design of a building is a pure mass of darkness in which the light just penetrates to
form a new mass in the shadow and he applied this principle in his design. Light
enters the space from the side and from above through the geometrical glass gaps
on the roof (Fig.39) and forms playful shapes in the steam over the water in the pool.
These geometrical light gaps on the roof, create the feeling that the roof is lighter
and the natural light which enters through the light gaps creates an amazing illusion.
The massive ceilings appear to be floating in the air, offering an exhilarating
sensation. Moreover, the massive walls which are five metres high, have a huge
scale, continuing the scale of the mountain rather than that of the human body and











Fig. 39: light gaps on roof


give the impression that you are alone there, interacting with this interplay of the
exterior and the interior space. (Dreki, 2016)
In order to let daylight in, Zumthor cut small openings on the ceiling of the indoor
pool (Fig.40) being inspired by the design of Turkish baths which he had visited
before. The light which enters through the openings creates various shapes and
patterns on the walls of the indoor bath and its reflection on the water has a playful
attitude, offering a unique experience to the visitors. (Zumthor, 2007. p. 64)

- 43 -










Fig. 40: openings on ceiling

Zumthor has controlled light within the building in such a way so as to exaggerate all
the other senses. All rooms are dimly-lit so that all the other senses sound, touch,
taste and smell are heightened creating a powerful experience. (Dreki, 2016)

5.12 Truth in materials

Water, stone and metal are in continuous dialogue with the senses, creating
something unique. Natural materials can tell us the history and the age of a place.
They let our gaze penetrate their surface so as to see their truth, the veracity of the
material. They interact with our senses evoking emotions and memory. By touching
the façade of the Spa one can feel the veracity and the perfection in the
arrangement of the slabs of stone. Stone and water are not just materials but they
also form natural phenomena which narrate history and tradition. All our senses
interact with stone and water and arouse our feelings. The reflection of light on the
water, the feeling of the hardness of the stone as we move around bare-foot
exploring the space, the touch of the water on our skin, the sound of running water
and of our steps going in and coming out of the water in this cave-like structure
creates the most powerful sensual experience which remains in our memory
forever. (Dreki, 2016) Our whole body is found in a continuous dialogue with the
building through its materiality. The stone which shines in the light interacts with
the exquisite detailing of the handrails made of brass or the red lacquered doors of the
changing rooms. Zumthor has taken good care to use them appropriately. He used

- 44 -
 them to create light and shadow, sounds and textures which create atmosphere and
ambience in the space. (Archdaily, 2009)

Fig. 41: Water, stone and metal

The materiality of the changing rooms are a totally different experience. The rooms
are clad in shiny red wood and the curtains which are black leather separate the
areas creating a theatrical experience to the visitors when they enter the space.

Fig. 42: Changing rooms

However, the atmospheric mood experienced in Thermes Vals is not only

due to the use of specific materials but do to the way they are used

- 45 -
together by the architect. It is in their orchestration that lies the
difference. Stone, water, chrome leather, velvet and brass interact with
each other in a harmonic way interacting with the visitors and their
bodies offering them the most sensuous experience. (Zumthor, 2007)

5.13 A totally atmospheric experience

The most significant tool for the design is without any doubt, the
atmospheric experience. The concept, the approach and realization of the
design by the architect, all evolve around an atmospheric experience
which involves the user on an experiential level creating the most
memorable experience. Our senses are stimulated by the use of light,
sound, shape, texture, colour or temperature of the materials and the
structure. Zumthor has achieved in creating a dramatic and mysterious
atmosphere. When passing through the dark corridor, coming down the

Fig. 43: Entering a mystical world

steps, it is like preparing ourselves to enter another world, a mystical

world in which all our senses are stimulated. Zumthor wants us to
experience the space in a subconscious way in which the senses are
stimulated before the mind. The light falling on the stones, the sound of
voices in the space, the feel of feet on the floor, the creeping sound of

- 46 -
 heavy doors which close behind you, the sound of water running down
the walls in the Fountain Hall and the entry into the dimly-lit space
where there is an interplay of light and shadow, prepare you for a
mystical experience of different moods and ambiences. The cave-like
experience reinforces this idea. It is like a game in which you are challenged to walk
and explore each space appealing to your memory and making connection with past
experiences you might have had . (Zumthor, 2007)

Conclusion

Thermes Vals is not just an ordinary building of stone and water or shower blocks.
Zumthor has successfully designed a building which inspires an air of mysticism and
tranquility. There is a distinct atmosphere which emerges in this cave-like structure
which sets the intimate and sensuous tone of the interaction between stone, water ,
skin and light. The strategy of dim lighting in most enclosed spaces, the sounds and
sound effects inside and outside the cave-like structure and the poetic use of natural
materials and their feel on the body, create an atmosphere of serenity and
mysticism during the act of bathing. This sensual nature of the act of bathing is
what attracts the visitors and creates a unique experience for them. Zumthor has
successfully integrated three elements from the surrounding environment in his
design , mountain, stone and water which served as an inspiration for him to create
one of the most atmospheric buildings in contemporary architecture. Therme Vals
offers one of the most powerful experiences. It is both a physical and mental
experience which speaks to our senses and creates an atmosphere which remains in
our memory causing us to ‘feel’. (Archdaily, 2009)

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- 48 -
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Vassella, Alessandro: Louis I. Kahn – Silence and Light: The Lecture at ETH Zurich,
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Holl, S, Pallasmaa, J and Gómez Alberto Pérez. (2006) Questions of Perception:
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Lobbell, J. (1979). Between Silence and Light: Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I.
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Pallasmaa, J. (2012). Space, Place and Atmosphere, University of Helsinky.
Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307736759_Space_place_and_atmospher
e_Emotion_and_peripherical_perception_in_architectural_experience.
(Accessed: 26 Nov. 2017)
Interview with Louis Kahn, by Marshall Meyers in 1972. Reported in Loud, Patricia
Cummings: ‘The Art Museums of Louis I. Kahn’, Duke University Press, Durham 1989
(Accessed: 15 December, 2017)
Sveiven, Megan, (26 Jan 2011). Bruder Klaus Field Chapel / Peter Zumthor . Available
at: https://www.archdaily.com/106352/bruder-klaus-field-chapel-peter-zumthor
(Accessed: 15 December, 2017)

Archdaily: 2009. Therme Vals: Peter Zumthor. Available at:
https://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals ( Accessed 1st Dec. 2017)

Dreki, Mina, (2016). ARCHITECTURE AND PHENOMENOLOGY: ZUMTHOR’S THERME

VALS SPA EXAMINED WITH A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH. Available at:
http://www.academia.edu/30674328/ARCHITECTURE_AND_PHENOMENOLOGY_ZU
MTHOR_S_THERME_VALS_SPA_EXAMINED_WITH_A_PHENOMENOLOGICAL_APPRO
ACH

Spotlight: Zumthor, (26.4.2017) Available at:

https://www.archdaily.com/364856/happy-70th-birthday-peter-zumthor ( Accessed
1st Dec. 2017)

Bengel, Kari,(2015). SENSUAL ARCHITECTURE: Project for Thermal Baths at Warm

Springs. Available at: https://theses.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08172000-
22250019/unrestricted/Thesis.pdf ( Accessed 1st Dec. 2017)

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-zumthor-therme-vals-spa-baths-
photography-fernando-guerra/ ( Accessed 1st Dec. 2017)

"Peter Zumthor: Seven Personal Observations on Presence In Architecture " (3 Dec

2013). ArchDaily.Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/452513/peter-zumthor-
seven-personal-observations-on-presence-in-architecture ( Accessed 1st Dec 2017)

Phaidon, (2013): Zumthor reveals the secrets of therme vals. Available

at:http://de.phaidon.com/agenda/architecture/articles/2013/february/12/peter-
zumthor-reveals-the-secrets-of-therme-vals/

Euripides Bziota, (May 14 2010) Available at:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/31384347/Therme-Vals-by-P-Zumthor-Conceptual-Approach
( Accessed 1st Dec. 2017)

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Figures
Fig. 1: Durham Marketplace Square, May 7 2012
http://hexebella.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_1943.jpg
(Accessed: 23 Dec. 17)

Fig 2: Temple of Hephaistos

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Hephaistos_te
mple_2006.jpg/300px-Hephaistos_temple_2006.jpg
(Accessed: 27 Nov. 17)

Figs 3 & 4: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York by Zumthor P, 2004.

https://www.google.com.cy/search?q=Guggenheim+new+york&dcr=0&source
=lnms (Accessed: 30 Nov. 17)

Fig. 5: Villa Savoye, external view, Le Corbusier, 1927
https://www.archdaily.com/84524/ad-classics-villa-savoye-le-
corbusier/5037e69428ba0d599b00035d-ad-classics-villa-savoye-le-corbusier-
image (Accessed: 30 Nov. 17)

Fig. 6: Villa Savoye, internal view, Le Corbusier, 1927
https://www.archdaily.com/84524/ad-classics-villa-savoye-le-
corbusier/5037e69428ba0d599b00035d-ad-classics-villa-savoye-le-corbusier-
image (Accessed: 30 Nov. 17)

Fig.7: Matisse Chapel in Vence
https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=Matisse+Chapel+in+Vence&fr
(Accessed: 27 Nov. 17)

Fig. 8: Stained glass windows in gothic churches

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5007/5250631257_41877a0502_b.jpg
(Accessed: 15 Dec. 17)

Fig.9: Silence and Light

https://jonathanstone.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/trees.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 17)

Fig. 10: The National Building Museum, Washington

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:National_Building_Museum_-
columns.JPG (Accessed: 15 Dec. 17)

Fig.11: Church of Light, Japan by Tadao Ando

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hdpaUaqR5oE/TJwUE6WBweI/AAAAAAAAAfY/
(Accessed: 15 Dec. 17)

Fig. 12: Indian Institute of Management, Louis Kahn

https://www.archdaily.com/83697/ad-classics-indian-institute-of-
management-louis-kahn/5037e62028ba0d599b000337-ad-classics-indian-
institute-of-management-louis-kahn-photo Accessed: 1st Dec. 17)

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Fig. 13: Alhambra Palace on Cordoba
https://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/system/2/user_files/files/000/062/609/6
2609/364f382f2/large/IMGP5137.jpg (Accessed : 18 Nov. 2017)

Fig.14 : Columba Museum, Cologne, Zumthor 2007
https://www.inexhibit.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Kolumba-
museum-Koln-interior-01.jpg (Accessed : 18 Nov. 2017)

Fig 15: Dale Chilhuly: Niijima Floats (1992).
handhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0wQCMKdFM9w/TESTwNPxhpI/AAAAAAAAA
Cc/RQFo9GpxH7E/s1600/handIMG_7273.jpg
(Accessed: 15 December, 2017)

Fig. 16: Brother Klaus Field Chapel, 2007
https://www.archdaily.com/106352/bruder-klaus-field-chapel-peter-zumthor
(Accessed: 15 December, 2017)

Fig. 17: Kimbell Art Museum, Louis Kahn, 1972
Interview with Louis Kahn, by Marshall Meyers in 1972. Reported in Loud,
Patricia Cummings: ‘The Art Museums of Louis I. Kahn’, Duke University Press,
Durham 1989 (Accessed: 15 December, 2017)

Fig. 18: Notre-Dame de Reims, 12th - 13th Century,
https://fthmb.tqn.com/0VZUhQgZMgBZ3cbkDRM8upTRVzM=/768x0/filters:n
o_upscale()/Reims-144133487crop-56aad1b05f9b58b7d008fd4e.jpg
(Accessed: 15 December, 2017)

Fig. 19: The Jewish Museum in Berlin , 1999

https://www.archdaily.com/91273/ad-classics-jewish-museum-berlin-
daniel-libeskind Accessed: 27.11.17)

Fig. 20: The Pantheon in Paris, 1757

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Pantheon_wider_ce
ntered.jpg (Accessed: 27.11.17)

Fig. 21: The touch of the hand

handhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0wQCMKdFM9w/TESTwNPxhpI/AAAAAAA
AACc/RQFo9GpxH7E/s1600/handIMG_7273.jpg
(Accessed: 27.11.17)

Fig. 22: The Holocaust memorial, Berlin
http://www.nicoleisthenewblack.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/04/Memorial_for_murdered_Jews_Berlin_boy_runn
ing.jpg (Accessed: 27.11.17)

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 Fig. 23: The Holocaust memorial, Berlin
com/world/travelling/berlin-memorial-world-war-holocaust/
(Accessed: 27.11.17)

Fig. 24: Eduardo Souza, Archdaily, (30 Oct. 2016), The only facade,
available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-zumthor-therme- vals-
spa-baths- photography-fernando-guerra/ / (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 25: Eduardo Souza, Archdaily, (30 Oct. 2016), Born from the mountain,
Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-zumthor-therme-
vals-spa-baths- photography-fernando-guerra/ / (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 26: Fernando Guerra, (2016). Peter Zumthor
https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/580f/afa9/e58e/ce64/b800/0033
/slides how/18.jpg?1477423000. (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 27: Wikimedia (2017). Pre-existing hotel,
Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Therme_Vals_1.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 28: A Roman bath (Sept. 19, 2015) Available at:
https://johnwhye.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/baths12mixedok.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 29: Wikimedia (2017). Buried in the mountain
Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Therme_Vals_1.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 30: Sunday, October 22, 2006, Geometrical patterns on grass-roofed top
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/90/275700845_55a071600e.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 31: Meyer, W. (2004) Locally quarried stone. Available at:
Zumthor, Peter (2007), Therme Vals, Berlin: Verlag Scheidegger & Spiess
(Accessed: 28 Dec. 2017)

Fig. 32: Stone, water and mountain. Available at:
Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-zumthor-therme-
vals-spa-baths- photography-fernando-guerra/ / (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 33: The façade of the building. Available at:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TPijHDMH4bE/maxresdefault.jpg

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Fig. 34: Eduardo Souza, Archdaily, (30 Oct. 2016), Outdoor baths,
Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-zumthor-therme-
vals-spa-baths- photography-fernando-guerra/ / (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 35: Wikimedia (2017). The transition
Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Therme_Vals_1.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 36: PLANS OF ARCHITECTURE (Peter Zumthor, 2007) Conceptual plan
http://78.media.tumblr.com/4d0685c1ae8c162db1db096a30203891/tumblr
_n39g6ruhBG1rbnlmvo3_r1_1280.png (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 37: Eduardo Souza, Archdaily, (30 Oct. 2016), Going from cold to hot,
Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-zumthor-therme-
vals-spa-baths- photography-fernando-guerra/ / (Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig.38: A walk in the woods. Available at:
https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/09/vals-peter-zumthor-bathhouse-
spa-switzerland_dezeen_2364_col_2-852x1207.jpg

Fig. 39: Light gaps on roof, p. 64. Available at:
Zumthor, Peter (2007), Therme Vals, Berlin: Verlag Scheidegger & Spiess
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 40: Openings on ceiling, p. 64. Available at:
Zumthor, Peter (2007), Therme Vals, Berlin: Verlag Scheidegger & Spiess
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 41: Wikimedia (2017). Water,stone and metal,
Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Therme_Vals_1.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 42: Wikimedia (2017). Changing rooms,
Available at: https://uploadwikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Therme_Vals_1.jpg
(Accessed: 1st Dec. 2017)

Fig. 43: Eduardo Souza, Archdaily, (30 Oct. 2016), Entering a mystical World
Available at:
https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/580f/b648/e58e/cefd/6700/0094/slideshow/41.jp
st
g?1477424697 (Accessed: 1 Dec. 2017)

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