Every Architect needs their ‘wow’ building
Kayleigh Clark is Director of the Architecture team at Videre Architects & Surveyors
Something waiting to be found, Therme Vals, Switzerland
I fell in love with this building the moment I saw it, it was silent, reserved, minimal but perfect.
At the centre of Architecture, to me there seems to be an empty space, you can’t plan emptiness, but you can draw its boundaries, and so empty space then comes to life. For me architecture starts with emptiness, a void waiting to be filled and if the Architect wants to produce beauty, then he/she has to work on the atmosphere, realise the importance of light and notice the vibration that spreads within this absence.
Her own path was a route she wanted to find, something she had been looking for. A found passion, an inspiration or maybe just a thought process that would allow her to understand her own approach to this daunting world of architecture. Through her years of studying and growing, she had been in search for something. Maybe an object, a place, a space, a person or just a feeling, but something that would touch and inspire her, allowing her to find her own direction.
‘Things, objects, the world of references, transform our sensations in remembrance’ and this is what I was in search for.
It’s hard to explain that feeling I had for years, the words I would have used were ‘uncertain’, and ‘lost’. It’s like you know it’s there, you have it within you but you can’t work out what that something is. It used to make me feel unsettled and frustrated, and no matter how hard I tried to figure it out, it just left me feeling more confused. I used to describe it as a heavy weight on my shoulders, stopping me from releasing whatever it was that I felt I needed to express or reveal. I can remember the feeling vividly, and what made it harder was that it was something I couldn’t explain to anyone around me.
Over the years I have come to release what this heavy weight was, it was just a part of growing up and a complete lack of maturity and knowledge making it difficult to articulate my thoughts. It created this invisible barrier that stopped me from not only understanding myself, but also allowed me to disregard and neglect everything that was right in front of me. I found that I was perceiving things in the wrong way or just missing it entirely. The day it clicked and all fell into place really did feel like that weight had been lifted. The feeling felt like a sense of relief, I suppose it was quite overwhelming at the time because it opened up so many doors for me.
Positioned perfectly still, wrapped in layers of clothing for warmth, she admired the beauty of her new surroundings, she was finally here. The ambience was silent and reserved, enhancing the sound of her heavy breathing as she battled against the sharp coldness. Walking up a snow covered path she felt her eyes becoming glazed like crystal from the crisp air. Continuing up the steep path, she paused, there it was, directly in front, standing proud, merging into its flawless surroundings. Built over a natural thermal spring, the building had a certain dialogue with the landscape, almost becoming an extension of the mountains themselves, like “an architectural gesture, which remained dipped into the surroundings”
Her heart began to race with excitement as she approached what seemed like a mystic world of quarried quartzite stone within a natural backdrop of snowy Swiss mountains. Slowly she progressed forward, watching each step she made as she moved through the thick white reflective snow. She had been told stories about this place over the years and finally she was here, here to create her own story because she had always told herself that “It is not enough to see architecture; you must experience it”
I fell in love with this building the moment I saw it, it was silent, reserved, minimal but perfect. But what really made this building special was its subtle beauty, not only from the outside but also within. From the outside it looked minimal, but what the exterior really did was act as an outer shell, a boundary holding together an empty space. This emptiness had been given a purpose, filled with deep meaning and a unique atmosphere, creating what I believe architecture truly is.
It’s interesting how certain objects, places or people can have such an impact on you. This building was the first time I had experienced this sudden impact and since then I feel like my eyes have been opened to a completely new way of thinking. It’s not something that happens very often to me, as it has to have a certain quality about it. But the few people I have met, places I have seen or objects I have found, that have had this effect on me are the rare occasions I look out for. It’s these qualities and influences that I rely on, to learn from, gain knowledge and ask questions. For me design is a constant question, we keep questioning to gain knowledge and understanding for places and the people we are designing for. As a designer I never know all the answers so I ask.
So how did this building capture me? What did it make me see? How did I interact with it? How did it move me? It was its atmosphere and its strong connection between reality and life. It was a place to luxuriate and rediscover the ancient benefits of bathing and the building was designed in such a way that it complemented these ancient rituals. Not only did it celebrate these rituals but it also allowed the human form to embrace the atmosphere to rediscover itself. Some may call it a spa but for me it was so much more. This piece of architecture was a timeless experience, triggering my sensory reactions and personal interaction. It was the intrigue detail and the amount of thought and care that had gone into its design, the stone that was used throughout the exterior and interior of the building, a grey textured material. Straight away you could see that this stone was the driving inspiration for the design and was used with complete dignity and respect.’
Everything about this place intrigued me, it was the silence within the space and how the echoed interior complemented the surrounding vast snowy mountains. The acoustics of the building was subtle but effective. When you first enter the building a faint trickle sound is apparent, echoing off solid stone surfaces. As you continue further through the space the sound is revealed as water is seen trickling from bronze faucets creating unique water markings down the stonewalls.
“Imperfection is in some sort essential to all that we know in life.” J.Ruskin
The Architect who designed this building says that ‘Planning is pure, nothing is pointless’ and you feel this throughout your body as you make your way through the space. The carefully placed artificial lighting against the floods of natural light into the space, I noticed the importance of lights quantity rather than the quality and how the light influenced my perception of the space I was entering into. The artificial lighting was delicate and defined, barely noticeable but designed in such a way that it created a natural flow around the space. Moving around this space meant making discoveries.You realise the importance of the buildings design as soon as your enter. Your sight is quickly enhanced by small glimpses of naked bodies through darkened passages, the sound of light sole feet against the warm stone floor, behind the red curtained changing areas, silhouettes of the human form, designed in a tasteful way, it’s the expression of freedom, the naked form but a strong sense of privacy.
“You are walking as if in the woods, everyone there is looking for a path of their own.” P.Zumthor
I noticed the reflections casted against the carefully placed stone walls, creating perfect light and dark space, the combinations of light and shade, open and enclosed spaces and linear elements creating a sensuous and restorative experience. It was designed to be used, creating spaces to interact, a unique intimacy that enhanced your sense of touch, the temperature, textures and material against the bare skin, making the body feel different in each crafted room. From hot to cold, cold to freezing, freezing to a perfect room temperature. Senses of the physical body are stimulated and your body is separated from the trials of daily life.
As I sat beneath the rippling water in a centre placed pool, I could feel the radiating heat from the stonewalls complementing my bare back. Lying up against it with my eyes closed I felt swallowed up within the warmth of the form, for me this building symbolised “rock versus skin”. Each space seemed to be designed not to compete with the body, but to flatter the human form, young or old, it gave the body space, room in which to just be.
For me it’s how a space or place should be experienced and I feel this was something that was apparent and distinct entirely, making you feel relaxed, calm and tranquil, isolated from the world, a sense of escape. It was the smallest details that you had to look out for, how each window had been carved out into perfect squares positioned in certain locations, framing parts of the outdoor landscape. Laying on low carefully designed furniture you could focus your sight through the small cut out windows, and what you saw through each cut out was specific to how the space wanted to make you feel. It was how the natural light flooded into the space but was then obscured by solid stonewalls to create these dark intimate spaces, the waters reflection and the patterns that the moving water created against this unique stone material. Light is used to emphasise materiality, contrasting smooth and rough stone surfaces, establishing a glow within the water, dancing upon stone as it breaks the water’s surface. And every now and again you get glimpses off the occasional, minimal bronze elements.’
For me these four elements are my favourite combination, water and stone, copper and bronze all combined with light and atmosphere, to me this is beautiful.
Certain spaces were purposely hidden, like unknown territory waiting to be found through a series of interconnecting passages and volumes. Each experience targeted different senses as I made my way through the unknown, quickly realising I was on my path of new discovery. You would never have know these unique spaces were there until you swam through water filled stone tunnels, walked through hot steamy spaces or merged yourself down steps into dark remote and mysterious water filled spaces. It was like constantly walking into the unknown, but this is what made it unique, the emptiness had been filled and architecture was being created.
These hidden realms gave reason to explore the architecture, seeking a new unfamiliar space, a new atmosphere. For me this is when architecture becomes real. It was the experience of my humid breath being stimulated as I lowered myself down through an intimate passage, into a flower pool, filled with aromatic petals of flowers. Suddenly it enhanced my sense of smell and touch. The descent into the pool’s water was also an intense experience, a feeling I had never felt before as the petals tickled past my skin, making way for my body’s entry.
The fire pool with a burning heat. As I walked down steps towards the red glowing water edge I could feel the heat against my face. As my feet touched the rippled water it felt impossible to submerge my entire body beneath its steaming coated surface. A contrast to this was the ice pool, minus Celsius, lit with a cold blue light and filled with cutting ice cold water. As I stood with my feet paddling on the first stone step, I built up the confidence, inhaled a deep breath and jumped. I felt my breath stripped from my entire body. As my face rose from the ice water, my sense of sound was enhanced as the space echoed with the sound of my gasp for air through the intense chill.
The echo room was a place that stood out the most for me. The atmosphere was apparent, the natural and designed light, the intimacy of the darkened edges, the unique sound, to me this space was perfect. Walking down into a small pool of water the light cut across the stone walls and the water movement left markings like a piece of art. Turning my body into a guided direction, I noticed a small perfectly cut square tunnel filled with water. Through the tunnel I could make out another space that drew me in. As I swam through the small space I noticed the rippled water reflecting against me skin, then suddenly I was greeted by the most unexpected place. With a high ceiling and perfectly positioned lighting the whole space moved as the water ripples reflected onto the tall walls. The smallest sound echoed through the space but what made this room even more unique was that it didn’t matter how loud you was, the sound didn’t escape. Leaning my head back against the stonewall, I focused my sight to the top of the high space and shouted as loud as I could, this for me was when my sense of hearing again were enhanced and a feeling of release entered my body. This space for me symbolised freedom, I felt free.
“Listen! Every room works like a big instrument, it’s collecting the sounds, enforces them, forwards them.” (Atmospheres)
Leaving this space I noticed a small pool with a wall which seemed as though you could swim under it. As I approached I submerged my body beneath the water and swam. From an indoor pool to an outdoor pool, it was like swimming out of a dark cave into a fresh icy ambience. Swimming from inside to outside made you become part of the landscape, not only experiencing the building but also allowing you to merge into these new surroundings. I suddenly felt my hot face become cold to the natural air, wiping the water from my face, my eyes were greeted by what can only be described as a white blanket of snow wrapping the mountain peaks. Walking from the steamy hot water, up stone steps, your feet touch the snow. How can this even be described without experiencing it for yourself? The feeling was like no other, a sudden contrast, a transition which again enhanced my inner senses further.
A moment that stood out to me was a young couple. I couldn’t help but feel intrigued as I watched them run out the water and onto the snow covered stone around the poolside. My sight was fixed on them as they played around in the snow together. Silence was suddenly filled with happiness and laughter. As I continued watching them making memories together I began to realise the purpose of this place. ‘One Two Three GO!’ as they both threw themselves onto the snow to make snow angels, quickly jumping up they ran back into the steamed pool. It’s how a place makes you feel, the memories you make and the energy it gives. Watching this young couple was a distinctive moment in my mind, it gave me an understanding and has shown me how a place can be experienced in different ways by each individual.
The Architect who designed this building, Peter Zumthor has been an inspiration for me throughout my architectural life, the way he thinks, the way he views the world and his design is something I aspire towards. Compared to his experience and knowledge my experience is minimal but it’s designs like this that help trigger young architects to carry on designing meaningful places, otherwise design could easily be lost. Something that Zumthor said that has always stayed with me was when he did his Ceremony Acceptance Speech for the Pritzker Price in 2013. He ended by saying,
“When I like it, you will like it too, because I’m not so special“ P.Zumthor
And he is right, as Architects we put ourselves in the shoes of others and like a sponge we absorb as much as we can, making sure we interact to gain an true understanding for people, place, space, material, objects, atmosphere, light and so on.
To me architecture isn’t just a building, brick and water, it’s the precision of thought and design from the architect who builds up the experiences and life for every individual person. Through design this is what I thrive to achieve and do every day, to design life, to create happiness, to produce memories and remembrance through the experience and interaction that takes place within the spaces I design. It’s the importance of human interaction with the building and the memories formed within it that transform what once was emptiness into a unique impression that each spectator has. To me it’s the importance of the craft of creating, capturing and understanding the Atmosphere. ‘Quality in architecture, to me its when a building manages to move you’ and when I design my main purpose and intent is to create emotional space.
“You can only possess beauty through understanding it.” J.Ruskin
Experiencing this building has made me the designer I am today. It changed the way I view things and from that I now understand how I feel architecture should be perceived. I call this place my ‘wow’ building and as an Architect I want to design places that give people the feeling I felt when I first entered this space. I feel that through design you can influence people’s minds in a positive way and create surroundings that will create moments and memories that will stay with them forever.
“We shape our buildings, and afterwards, our buildings shape us.” W. Churchill
I fell in love with this building the moment I saw it, it was silent, reserved, minimal but perfect. Therme Vals, Switzerland, My Wow Building.
Therme Vals, Switzerland