Peter Zumthor’s Irrepressible Therme Vals

Legendary, prize-winning architect, Peter Zumthor, has been a neighbour in Switzerland’s close-knit Vals for nearly 20 years, and his iconic Therme Vals has had visitors flocking since its opening in 1996. But whereas Zumthor’s Therme Vals was once owned by the Vals community by way of a social project, it has since been bought by a large property developer and, in the architect’s own words, “destroyed.”

By way of a social experiment, this may be so, but Therme Vals still remains a striking and resonant piece of Swiss architecture that, in our eyes, will always be worth a visit. Built over the only thermal springs in the Graubünden Canton, Therme Vals is built right into the hillside, giving off designer cave-like vibes with a grass roof and beautiful striped walls made from quarried quartzite stone.

This respectful and symbiotic relationship with its natural mountain surroundings reflects the beating heart of Therme Vals’ existence - as the healing mineral waters pour up and out its elegantly curved bronze tubes, giving purpose to both the build and those who flock there.

A stylish rabbit warren of towering ceilings, linear lines and smooth passages, it plays with a comforting contrast of shadow and light, creating an ambience of utter calm, in which the bather can become lost and wander – even momentarily – in their own experience.

Built as an echo of the great Roman baths, whose influence once permeated much of Europe, Therme Vals succeeded as a social experiment for nearly 20 years. While this concept may now have waned, the now-heritage architecture still stands as an ode to the original idea, and also of course, as another striking example of Peter Zumthor’s incredible architectural design.

“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

Interior pool of Peter Zumthor’s Therme Vals architecture, slate walls

Where to stay?

A 5-minute walk from Therme Vals sits a quieter feat of Switzerland's architectural and stylistic brilliance, the boutique Brücke 49 guesthouse, full of Scandi design luxury and simple Alpine cool. A design residence right in the heart of Grison's famous Vals ski resort, Brücke 49 gives you the best of both worlds – energetic skiing followed by relaxed bathing, all followed by a rest in true, unadulterated style.