submerging + surfacing
a bathhouse — Melbourne, Australia
studio bathing 2.0 / University of Melbourne
Submerging and surfacing; a unique bathhouse experience. Taking a bath means to be fully submerged by water, but also means to go back up later. In this bathhouse, the visitor gets submerged by the mass and experience of water, to then surface and come back to air. This transition is felt in every detail of the bathhouse.
The building as mass with its reflective, perforated facade feels like stepping into an enclosed safe haven; from being submerged in the basement world of water, you slowly rise up to the top level which evokes light and air. Two voids with skylights connect the darkness to the light, and two multi-level baths allow you to sink or float. Alluring lighting draws you into carvings and blocks, and warm to cool tones transform spaces and atmospheres during your journey. At the pinnacle, the outdoor bath opens to the sky. Exiting the building, darkness outside is illuminated by lights behind the façade. You step back onto the ground after a journey of submerging and surfacing – into and from the building – the water – and yourself.
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