A mark of Architecture

People from all over the world travel to Vals. The Therme (thermal baths) designed by Peter Zumthor has gone down in the history of architecture as a "lesson in courage and aesthetics". As early as 1998, two years after opening, it was listed as a historic building. The hotel is also characterised by architecture. For instance, the Red Restaurant, the Blue Lounge, the Temporaries and the Stucco Rooms all bear the signature of Peter Zumthor. Ingenious associations of old and new, an unconventional mix of existing building and new architectural works of art have emerged.

From outside the hotel appears as a self confident ensemble comprised of four buildings completed in 1969. The building composition is unpretentious and functional. The three ancillary buildings and the main building are witnesses of an architectural epoch revitalised through accents of timeless design.

Situated right at the very top, the banana-shaped hotel building nestles into the hill and offers an unrestricted view of the steep meadows on the opposite side as well as the mountaintops towering behind them. The same view is presented to the visitor in the Therme – but the view appears more incisive, sharpened through the framework of Valser stone and presented as a more enlightening contrast to the dark vaults of the Therme. Archaic mountain world and modern architecture coalesce.