Thermal Römerbad

Opened in 1979 as one of the first so-called ‘event spas’, the Römerbad Thermal Spa at the time represented an innovative departure in thermal spa architecture. The client was therefore very concerned to retain the site’s original character when adding new facilities—a wellness and sauna area, rest rooms, a children’s area, and a beauty area.

Our proposal envisioned placing all additional facilities in a newly designed landscape surrounding the original building. The formal language of the original building is reflected in the curved, greened terraces, allowing the original main hall of the spa to retain its dominant, sculptural presence. The internal organization and design are shaped by two key factors: the landscaped terraces, aligned along the valley’s natural east-west axis, and the building’s multi-story structure, a rather unusual feature for a spa. A new atrium, inserted into the wellness wing, constitutes the geometric and social heart of the refurbished thermal spa.

On all three floors, the northern side houses the service areas—changing rooms, ancillary spaces, the sauna supervisor’s room, technical facilities, solaria, and beauty and massage rooms—while to the south, an open landscaped area oriented toward the stream and mountains unfolds, where the various sauna and wellness facilities seem freely scattered across the terrain.

The facades of the new extension serve a dual purpose. The simple wooden post-and-beam construction of the interior cladding provides insulation, while extensive glazing of the naturally lit interior rooms ensures optimal views of the surrounding landscape. The timber lamellae of the outer cladding, varying in density, defines the building’s character.