Matteo Thun Embeds BASIN Glacial Waters into Lake Landscape

"BASIN Glacial Waters to function as both architectural frame and sensory mediator, a space where the physiological effects of thermotherapy meet the raw power of protected wilderness. With an opening last September at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, this marks the first thermal bathing facility in North America to fully integrate European sweat culture traditions with glacial-fed hydrotherapy at this scale."

"Raised in the Dolomites and experienced in alpine architecture across the Alps, Thun understands how light behaves at elevation and how thermal contrast intensifies in thin mountain air. The facility appears embedded into the landscape rather than imposed upon it. Dramatic arched windows mirror the original 1920s hotel architecture flooding interior spaces with shifting natural light, which creates dynamic shadows throughout the day."

"Sustainably-sourced, Canadian-wood beams span the ceiling, their mass calibrated to balance acoustic absorption with visual warmth. The wood will patina under exposure to steam and temperature fluctuations, gradually, baking the aging process into design and specification. Material transformation is intrinsic to the spatial narrative."

BASIN Glacial Waters, designed by Matteo Thun at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, represents a pioneering thermal spa facility at 5,000 feet elevation where Victoria Glacier feeds directly into the bathing complex. The architecture functions as both a sensory frame and landscape mediator, with dramatic arched windows reflecting 1920s hotel design that flood interiors with dynamic natural light. Sustainably-sourced Canadian wood beams span the ceiling, calibrated for acoustic absorption and visual warmth, with materials designed to patina under steam exposure. The facility integrates European sweat culture traditions with glacial-fed hydrotherapy, featuring Finnish and Bio Saunas with varying humidity levels that demonstrate how atmospheric shifts alter spatial experience. This opening marks a significant wellness development for Fairmont's new wellbeing platform.

Read at Design Milk