Pritzker Architectural Prize 2009 goes to Builder of Famous Spa

Pritzker Architectural Prize 2009 goes to Builder of Famous Spa
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

An architect who built a stunning spa just won the Pritzker Prize – the top architectural award for 2009!

Sometimes called the “Nobel Prize” for architecture, receiving the Pritzker is considered an amazing accomplishment. How excited I was a few days ago when I learned that the 2009 prize is going to Peter Zumthor, who created Thermae Vals Spa in Switzerland!

Although I haven’t visited this famous spa yet, I certainly know what it looks like from the many photos I have seen of its beautiful design. The Pritzker Prize (which includes $100,000) is given to an architect for his life’s work – and interestingly, many consider Peter Zumthor’s spa his most famous work.

Monday’s Washington Post said, “His thermal baths project, built for the Swiss village of Vals, is frequently cited as his masterpiece. Zumthor, 65, set the building into the side of a mountain, covered it with a green, grassy roof, and faced its walls with thin horizontal bands of gray stone.”

Check out this YouTube video if you want to meet the architect and get a glimpse of the spa.

My next step? Inviting him to this year’s Global Spa Summit of course! The 2008 GSS will be in Switzerland in May – not that far from where he lives. We would love to honor him with a tribute from our industry. Fingers crossed that he will be able to attend.
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