A Phenomenological Approach Towards the Architecture of Peter Zumthor: The Concept of "Atmospheres" and Therme Vals

Architects, interested in philosophy and phenomenology, take into consideration not only the functionality and formal characteristics of architecture but also the perceptual and experiential features of it. Peter Zumthor is one of them. This study aims to examine the architectural approach of Zumthor within the context of its relationship with phenomenology. For this purpose, Zumthor’s concept of "atmospheres" and his architectural approach were examined through conceptual analysis. In the first part of the study, the relation between architecture and philosophy and the concept of architectural phenomenology were evaluated to present the theoretical basis. In this context, Gugalun House, Expo 2000 Swiss Pavilion and Bruder Klaus Chapel projects were examined in order to highlight the architectural characteristics of his design approach. Zumthor has defined nine components that affect the concept he calls “atmospheres”. These components comprise the body of architecture, material compatibility, the sound of a space, the temperature of a space, surrounding objects, between composure and seduction, the tension between interior and exterior, levels of intimacy, and the light on things. In the second part of the study, his Therme Vals project was analyzed within the scope of the components of space atmosphere concept, and the relation that Zumthor established between architecture and phenomenology is deepened. At the end of the study, it is concluded that each of the components affecting the spatial atmospheres have certain architectural correspondences in Therme Vals project, and the relationship between space and user can be deepened when the components affecting the spatial atmospheres are applied to create a meaningful reality.