Geometric Hot Springs / German del Sol

Architects: German del Sol
Location: Villarica National Park, Villarica, Chile
Project team: José Luis Ibañez G., Carlos Venegas, José Instroza
Contractor: José Luis Ibañez G.
Structure: Fernando del Sol V.
Project year: 2002 – 2004
Construction year: 2005
Photographs: Guy Wenborne

One of the best activities to enjoy oneselve’s to be done outdoors all year round is to bath in a hot spring. If summer, situated in the middle of the forest freshness; if it dawns, rains, snows or when the night falls; the Geometric Hot Springs profit from around sixty springs of pure hot thermal water, which alltogether gather 15 litres per second that sprout naturally at 80º C temperature.

It’s located in the middle of native forests of the Villarrica National Park, in the 13,5 km of the road that crosses the Park between Coñaripe and Pucón.

To bath with pleasure, in the midst of nature, 17 pools were carved along 450 meters, with red wooden paths and ramp without steps that drive the visitors into the pools and lets them walk through the project to pick a pool to bath in. Thanks to the candlelight, you won’t trip. Neither would you slip on ice or snow because the path is heated with the thermal water that runs under it before being distributed to the pools.

There is a “quincho” (meeting place) built up of pure native assembled (not nailed) wood, which invites to sit and chat after bathing. It’s a covered and warm space around an open fire.

This experience gets to its splendour, maybe because its architecture is precise and clean, it lets to leave our worries and enjoy the pleasure of the bath or observe nature.

The geometry highlights the natural and separes it from the built.
This arqchitecture distingushes the place and makes it irreplaceable.