Cultural city lab RAUM gives Utrecht public outdoor bathhouse back

Until recently, the new housing estate Leidsche Rijn in Utrecht was primarily a place to live, where it was not a matter of course for residents to meet each other spontaneously. Cultural city lab RAUM is changing this with the development of the outdoor bathhouse Thermae and the hospitality pavilion Venster. The public spaces, designed by the well-known design firm Overtreders W, unite Japanese culture, open and green design and sustainable materials with the Vinex. A true experiment of the future city. The opening of the new hotspots takes place during the Formplaats Festival in Leidsche Rijn on Sunday, September 23.

RAUM settled in the summer of 2017 on a large, open space on the edge of Leidsche Rijn, the Berlinplein. The potential was there in the new part of Utrecht, but a cultural trigger of stature did not get off the ground. Foundation RAUM, following a placemaking project with dozens of stakeholders, was given the opportunity (by the Municipality of Utrecht) to experiment with (social) art and design projects, of which Thermae and Venster are among the results. The coming year will show whether the two new meeting places at RAUM contribute to meaningful exchanges between the residents of the neighborhood and the city, and whether such initiatives in which art and design come together can inspire the future of the city.

Japanese touch in Vinex gray
Overtreders W, known for this year’s award-winning People’s Pavilion in Eindhoven (Dutch Design Week), responded to an open call from RAUM to collaborate with other makers in shaping the theme of “the future of the city” and the Berlin Square. Reinder Bakker, one of the founders of Overtreders W: “In a newly built neighborhood there is a need for a meeting place, but social facilities are often forgotten at the drawing board. For example, there is still very little place in the neighborhood for people to get together and for good food.” The design studio came up with the solution in the form of an outdoor bathhouse.

The designers discovered that Leidsche Rijn has a Roman history, in part due to the archaeological discovery of remnants of an old bathhouse. “We started researching bathing culture. In Japan, for example, villagers go to open bathhouses to catch up and take care of themselves. In contrast to the Western, status-oriented bath culture, Japan actually focuses on the social aspect. An inspiration,” says Reinder Bakker. “Thermae will be an accessible meeting place in the Dutch Vinex district. A public place where you’re not online, or necessarily have to pay money, but are completely physically present and together. But with a Western touch, because clothing is required.”

Bathhouse design and function
Offenders W found in their research a number of elements that recur almost in every bath culture, such as the sauna, the steam bath, the use of herbs and the foot bath. Visitors to Thermae can relax in different areas of the space. In the design, the creators took into account accessibility and the possibility of actually coming together. The outdoor bathhouse consists of:

• A botanical plant sauna: an egg-shaped object with a relaxed mattress on which you can lie. You are surrounded by plants and the sun warms the object.
• A foot bath: the water of the foot bath warms up due to the mirrored inside. You can paddle with four people in a relaxed manner.
• A main sauna: a diamond-shaped object with a steam function. Press the button and the object fills with fragrant steam.
• A dry sauna: between the glass wall and Window, a trombé wall has been created. This special air supply heats the space between glass and wood and you get a dry sauna, which also heats the catering pavilion.

Circular catering hotspot
In addition to Thermae, Overtreders W also designed the hospitality pavilion Venster that is circularly built with as many whole materials as possible so that it is biodegradable and reusable. The building seems to merge into the neighborhood and literally keeps the view between city and neighborhood open by using large windows. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Sunday. Window works with a changing menu. “We determine the dishes based on what is available in the neighborhood, because we source the products locally as much as possible,” says Daniël Lansbergen, CEO of Artisanal Cuisine, operator of Venster’s kitchen.

The pavilion also offers space for programming, presentations and workshops organized by RAUM. A place where you can go for relaxation and meeting.

Festive opening
The opening of Thermae and Venster will take place during the Formplaats Festival on Sunday 23 September, when RAUM also celebrates its first anniversary. During the festival there will be a tasting of massages at Thermae by care professionals from Leidsche Rijn, a local market, various workshops, children’s activities program, delicious snacks and drinks and of course music to dance to. View the full program at: https://raumutrecht.nl/event/formplaats-festival/