“When I start, my first idea for a building is with the material. I believe architecture is about that. It’s not about paper, it’s not about forms. It’s about space and material,” stated Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
The legendary and award-winning architect takes a pared back approach to designing buildings, emphasizing the materials themselves and their interaction with the environment. Materials hold their own qualities, and by emphasizing them—rather than hiding them—we can truly appreciate and experience their beauty.
Photo Credit: Julien Balmer for 7132 Hotel
Peter Zumthor’s work is well known in the world of architecture, yet there are only a select few buildings that he has designed. There’s a sense of deep intention behind Zumthor’s work, that he’s creating structures mindfully, rather than simply building for the sake of building.
His work speaks for itself—showcasing the beauty of the natural world, materials, and emphasizing the experience of a place.
Light and shadow also play heavily into his work. Rather than simply being about the structure, it’s about the interaction between the structure and environment.
At GOODLAND, we’re often inspired both by Zumthor’s philosophy and his work. Our design studio aims to take a deep sense of consideration into all that we create—not putting anything out there that doesn’t add or contribute. Prioritizing form, beauty, and the interaction between our work in the natural environment.
Photo Credit: Julien Balmer for 7132 Hotel
Therme Vals
The small town of Vals in Switzerland was known for its thermal baths, and Zumthor chose to build a structure to highlight the natural mineral pools. With a monolithic minimalism and an emphasis on the beauty of materials, the Therme at Vals is constructed from raw concrete and 60,000 slabs of locally quarried quartzite. The building itself is built directly into the hillside, giving the impression of soaking within a quartzite cave.
“I am convinced that a good building must be capable of absorbing the traces of human life and taking on a specific richness... I think of the patina of age on materials, of innumerable small scratches on surfaces, of varnish that has grown dull and brittle, and of edges polished by use.”
Today, Therme Vals is part of 7132 Hotel, complete with guest suites, a restaurant, as well as 7132 House of Architects—a collection of guest rooms, individually designed by architects Peter Zumthor, Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, and Thom Mayne.
Photo Credit: Fernando Guerra
Our Inspiration
Our in-house design studio was inspired by the minimal and material-focused beauty of Therme Vals in the creation of our Brass Outdoor Faucet. Made of solid raw brass with a satisfying solidity, the Brass Outdoor Faucet will form a beautiful patina as it’s used, showing the graceful hand of time. At once functional and sculptural, it’s designed as a timeless accessory for bathing, gardening, and the outdoors.
Photo Credit: Tristan Deggan
Craig Pearce
Craig is the founder behind GOODLAND, who launched the company with the Wood Burning Hot Tub. A designer and furniture maker, he’s passionate about creating well-designed and minimal objects and tools to connect people with nature — knowing that when we move half as fast, we notice twice as much.
