Abstract:

The identity of the New Bathhouse is brought alive by the context in which it presides. Through form and stylistic languages, the public bathhouse is a unique area in which humans can witness the different stages of relaxation and intensity alongside their neighbors. By implementing the studies of a Roman bathhouse and the rich history of the Trinity River, the architecture offers protection and visual innovation new to the metropolitan nature of the city.

Each pool room within Roman Thermae had architectural qualities that helped define the space and its hierarchy, with one major distinctive condition being the role of light, as well as its relationship to heat regulation. The Caldarium’s orientation towards the sun, in collaboration with its narrow skylight, limits illumination within the space while trapping heat to create a natural convection process. The Frigidarium follows the opposite logic to limit heat accumulation and promote air circulation. Implementing these studies into our project's design, each of the skylight mounts for the pools is differentiated by its orientation and geometry.

Furthermore, the project treats the industrial identity of the Dallas as a framework open for reinterpretation. A study was conducted on the role of Trinity in industry, focusing on the geometries of surrounding industrial components. The skylights mounting the pools were directly manipulated from examination of surrounding infrastructure, such as cotton mills and steamboat.