Design for a modern-day bathhouse situated on an existing lot within a North Austin strip mall.
BETWEEN REALITY AND A REVERIE
Informed by historical precedents such as the Greco-Roman thermal bathes, this proposal interrogates the bathhouse as a manufactured microcosm of nature, one that reproduces climactic conditions (i.e. humidity, thermal variations) on a smaller, interior scale. Initially an exploration of how certain manufactured and natural elements might amplify each other in this environment, Proscenium Bath and Wellness emerges as an interim space where water, light, and material interact to challenge a spectator’s perception and provide an engaging brand of rejuvenation.
An early shower proposal incorporates thermoformed Corian, water embedded in its volumetric form, a crystalline flow mingling with the light above to create an immersive caustic performance. Other program modules including steam rooms, plunge pools, and individual treatment rooms provide similarly sensational experiences.
Throughout the bathhouse, ethereally neutral finishes like glass, poured biopolymer resin, and gradated illumination let phenomenological effects take center stage.
