Peter Zumthor is a renowned Swiss architect

who is widely recognized for his minimalist yet

powerful designs. Born in Basel, Switzerland in
1943, Zumthor studied at the Pratt Institute in
New York and the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology in Zurich before establishing his own
architecture studio in 1979. He gained
international recognition for his work on the
Thermal Bath Vals, a minimalist and
contemplative spa in the Swiss Alps, and has
since designed a number of award-winning
buildings around the world.

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Peter Zumthor's architectural style is
characterized by a deep sense of simplicity,
materiality, and attention to detail. He is known
for his use of natural materials such as stone,
wood, and concrete, and his buildings often
feature a limited palette of materials that are
carefully chosen for their ability to evoke a
particular mood or feeling.

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Zumthor's designs are marked by a strong emphasis on spatial quality and sensory experience,
with a particular focus on the play of light and shadow, the manipulation of acoustics, and the
creation of tactile surfaces. He is also known for his sensitivity to context and the surrounding
landscape, and his designs often incorporate elements of local vernacular architecture.

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"In order to design buildings
with sensuous connection to
life, one must think in a way
that goes far beyond form
and construction"

-PETER ZUMTHOR

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In the 1960s a German property developer, Karl
Kurt Vorlop, built a hotel complex with over 1,000
beds to take advantage of the naturally occurring
thermal springs and the source, which provides
the water for Valser mineral water, sold in
Switzerland. After the developer went bankrupt,
the village of Vals bought the five hotels in
development in 1983 and commissioned a
hydrotherapy centre at the middle of the five
hotels on the source of the thermal springs. The
spa facility was built between 1993 and 1996,
designed by Peter Zumthor.

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The fascination for the mystic qualities
of a world of stone within the
mountain, for darkness and light, for
light reflections on the water or in the
steam saturated air, pleasure in the
unique acoustics of the bubbling water
in a world of stone, a feeling of warm
stones and naked skin, the ritual of
bathing – these notions guided the
architect. Their intention to work with
these elements, to implement them
consciously and to lend them to a
special form was there from the
outset.

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Light comes from many sources, from
the walls, the windows, and even the
water. There is a play with reflection
and refraction as a result of the
water’s effect on the textured walls
and the color of the walls. The light
then creates an atmosphere that is
serene, healing, and luminous; almost
mysterious as to where it is coming
from, similar to a cathedral.

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Situated in Cologne, Germany, a city that was
almost completely destroyed in World War II, the
museum houses the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese’s collection of art which spans more
than a thousand years. Zumthor’s design
delicately rises from the ruins of a late-Gothic
church, respecting the site’s history and
preserving its essence. ”They believe in the inner
values of art, its ability to make us think and feel,
its spiritual values.

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Zumthor, consistently mindful of the use of the
materials, and specifically their construction
details, has used grey brick to unite the
destroyed fragments of the site. These fragments
include the remaining pieces of the Gothic
church, stone ruins from the Roman and
medieval periods, and German architect Gottfried
Böhm’s 1950 chapel for the “Madonna of the
Ruins.”

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Zumthor’s idea – ambitious and daring –
surrounds the ruins of the church and
entirely merges with them. The lower
level is left as an archaeological site with
a pathway leading to the upper levels
which house the museum’s exhibit areas.
The winding passage ensures that there
is minimal impact by visitors on the
archaeological site. 16 exhibition rooms
arranged on the building’s three levels
host several works of ancient and
contemporary religious artists.

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From this central space, there are entrances to three enclosed “cabinet” spaces with dim artificial lighting, each of which leads
further into a tall “tower” space with diffused clerestory natural light: one with northern light, one with eastern, and one with
southern light. The progression of thresholds and re-orientations gives the tower spaces a sense of interiority. In these tall
spaces, through the high windows with frosted glass, light seems to be abstracted to its transcendence source.

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The facade of grey brick integrates the remnants of the church’s facade into a new face for the
contemporary museum. Articulated with perforations, the brick work allows diffused light to fill
specific spaces of the museum. As the seasons change, the”mottled light shifts and plays
across the ruins,” creating a peaceful ever-changing environment.

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It “cordons off a zone of purity,” not
only through its spaces of interiority
with strong thresholds, but also
through its ascetic design. In the
context of this museum, “purity” is
expressed by architectural
minimalism, “honest” or “raw
materials” (terrazzo, concrete,
wood, bricks), and a certain
abstractness. One example is the
window details, which are designed
so that the window frames would
not be visible from the interior.
Three materials come together,
without a visible connection
between them: terrazzo, concrete,
and glass.

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https://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f3b431b3db2ba2624d0f96/t/58adb61920099eb77
a8126dc/1487779471840/Peter_Zumthor__Atmospheres.pdf
https://archinect.com/Ali-Noor/project/case-study-of-the-therme-vals-peter-zumthor-1996
https://www.archdaily.com/72192/kolumba-musuem-peter-zumthor
https://1159designsite.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/k1106950_-
jaime_de_linares_tectonics_chapter_disseration.pdf
http://anoukahlborn.com/img0703c.html
https://divisare.com/projects/273884-peter-zumthor-helene-binet-radu-malasincu-kolumba-
diocesan-museum
https://cavad.calbaptist.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Isabel-Potworowski_Mediator-of-
Transcendence-The-Kolumba-Museum.pdf
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/2019/07/20/a280-15-works-of-peter-zumthor-every-
architect-should-visit/