The site is on Lake Pearl Park, named after its sunny location, panorama overlooking the Alps, and isolation from the city's noises.
Architectural principle:
The architectural principle guiding the Thermal Pearl project is centred on promoting the culture of bathing, creating spaces for relaxation, fostering social interaction, and ensuring the year-round use of these banks, all while preserving the unique identity of the place.
Aesthetic concept:
The design strategy involves using the natural elevation of the land to seamlessly integrate the building into the park's natural setting. This design is achieved by transforming the roof into a panoramic esplanade, ensuring a harmonious blend with the surroundings. For a natural visual design and to convey the idea that the thermal bath is geologically constructed, the concept followed the design of the volcanic formation geometry of the Giant's Causeway, located in Ireland (see photo below).
"Architecture is a kind of oratory of the power by means of forms"
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Project:
The Thermal Pearl, a unique creation of thermal baths, is set to grace the shores of Lake Geneva. Its primary objective is to offer a distinctive thermal bathing experience and expand the bathing space for the residents of Geneva. Secondly, it aims to enhance the diversity of the existing bathing areas.
Theme and place:
Geneva's history is closely associated with its lake; the inhabitants have a close relationship with water, and Genevese enjoy bathing in the lake every summer; however, the banks have remained the same since 1930.
With the city's population on the rise, the demand for more recreational areas is becoming increasingly urgent. The current docks and beaches are often overcrowded, and the existing baths are congested every summer. These banks have been the subject of much criticism and architectural competition for several years, highlighting the pressing need for more space.
In addition, Switzerland is famous for its thermal baths, whether mineral baths in the mountains or urban thermal baths. However, Geneva has few or any that could welcome enough people to rayon as a city thermal bath.
Structural concept:
To emulate the volcanic formation principle of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland (refer to the photo above), a hexagonal module was designed for both the building structure and breakwater elements.
Intervention:
Ground floor
- pond/skylight
- panoramic lake view
1st basement
- restaurant
- kitchen
- technical rooms for the
restaurant
2nd basement
- external basins
- thermal baths reception
- themed thermal rooms
- cloakrooms
- massage rooms
- technical rooms