Visiting Peter Zumthor’s Thermal Spa at Vals had long been on my architectural bucket list. When the opportunity finally came, I expected to be impressed—but what unfolded over three hours surpassed all expectations.
Walking through the crystalline-lit entry and into reception, my equally intrigued companion and I were handed an electronic watch to secure our changing room lockers—a small touch that felt quietly futuristic, almost James Bond-like. From there, a journey intended to profoundly relax evolved into an architectural encounter to inspire.
First Impressions: A Fortress of Stone
The first glimpse of the spa is both monumental and enigmatic. The solid block masses, punctuated by darkened entry doors, appear almost medieval—quietly imposing, yet deeply intriguing. The approach, via a stepped ramp, slows your pace and invites reflection. Soft, filtered light falls across 60,000 meticulously laid stone pieces, guiding movement toward the main pool.
Anchors and Intimacy
At the heart of the complex lies the central 32°c square pool—a wayfinding anchor with multiple entry points, framed by blocks of stone that create smaller, more intimate bathing pockets for two, four, or even eight people. Above, a grid of light shafts filters daylight into the space, shifting and softening as you move.
The opportunities then unfold into extremes: a 42°c cast-concrete pool tinted with red oxide, followed—for the purportedly brave—by a bracing 14°c bath coloured in deep blue. Here, the architecture does more than house the water—it choreographs an experience. Even the acoustics play a role: step into a particular pool and the echo of displaced water reverberates like rolling thunder, reverent and unexpected.
Sound, Resonance, and Reverie
With an affinity for acoustics I was delighted to discover each room holds a unique resonance frequency. Conversation feels hushed, even intrusive, but humming at the right pitch releases a pure exponential vibration, filling the space with sound. These acoustic qualities, combined with the tactile stone and temperature shifts, create an environment that is equal parts physical and spiritual.
Light, Materials, and Detail
Light is carefully rationed, revealed in gradients. From minimal orange-filament lamps with black disc reflectors to shafts of natural light filtered through 60mm elongated skylight slots, every decision creates calmness and clarity. The juxtaposition of rough stone walls with polished brass handrails, signage, and door details offers subtle luxury against rugged materiality.
The cantilevered roof pods remain the most striking detail from this visit. These massive in-situ concrete plates, softened by green roofs and refined copper flashings, appear impossibly weightless, separated from their supports by a sliver of concealed glazing. Light slips through these slots and down the stone walls, guiding circulation with quiet precision.
Surprise and Delight
Not all discoveries are grand gestures. A narrow cubic tunnel barely 600mm wide opens into a hidden secondary bath. A stainless mesh curtain, delicate and unexpected, separates interior pools from the largest outdoor bathing space. Classic tension and release experiences. The distinct, and sparingly used vivid cobalt blue is used for the spa entry door and small glass roof grid tiles. Outside, stone terraces absorb and radiate the Alpine sun, while carefully framed apertures offer personal-scale glimpses of hillside, forest, or snow, depending on season. Recliners with black leather headrests align your gaze perfectly with these vignettes—a reminder of how architecture can choreograph even our posture and perspective.
Architecture as Experience
What makes Vals extraordinary is not just its materiality, or its siting within the Swiss Alps, but the orchestration of movement and perception. Zumthor leads you on a journey that unfolds gradually: contrasts of hot and cold, dark and light, enclosed and expansive. Each step is measured, each threshold curated.
As we finally departed—wrinkled, replete, and deeply moved—I felt that I had witnessed not just a spa, but an architectural experience of rare clarity. Sensitive to its landscape, profoundly human in its detail, and monumental in its presence, Vals is destined to remain an icon for generations.
Our Philosophy
At Malcolm Taylor Architects, we strive for the same balance of detail, atmosphere, and delight. Architecture should not only serve its function but also enrich the way people experience daily life. It’s in the careful calibration of light, material, movement, and view that we create places that resonate beyond the moment.
This is why our practice carries the guiding phrase: “Ongoing Joyful Experiences.” Because, like Vals, the best architecture doesn’t end when you leave—it stays with you, shaping memory, inspiring reflection, and quietly enriching life.
