My visit to Austria at The Rogner BAD BLUMAU Volcanic Waters…..
About Rogner-Bad Blumau
Designer Spa resort with grass covered roofs and surreal rainbow facades.
The hot spa in the Rogner-Bad Blumau resort was first drilled in 1978. Thankfully water was discovered, prompting the building of a hotel – not an oil well. Inaugurated in 2000, Rogner Bad Blumau has a simply amazing eclectic design with the roof of the main buildings grass covered, following a rolling hill profile.
Some of the rooms are underground, with windows facing lit courtyards, while others follow the rolling design of the surrounding landscape. The spa is at the centre of the complex, with an award winning gourmet restaurant among the facilities. The spa has a variety of saunas and health facilities and offers a number of wellness programmes. The hot springs also provide heat and generate power for the resort.
Hundertwasser’s artistic vision shares common themes, bright colours, organic forms, strong individualism, and a rejection of the straight line. Calling straight lines “the devil’s tools”, his architectural work is comparable to Antoni Gaudí. His work has been used for flags, stamps, coins, posters, schools, churches, and most impressively a public toilet in his adopted home of New Zealand. Hundertwasser considered New Zealand as his official home, and no matter where he went in the world, his watch was always set to New Zealand time.
Walking around the resort coupled with the de-stressing spa facilities makes for a surreal experience.
Architecture
Architecturally designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser in harmony with nature, Rogner Bad Blumau is laid out in four irregular quarters. The ring-shaped inner and extensive outer spa area constitutes the centre. A wide variety of living, bathing and restaurant areas branch out from the centre into the open landscape, offering countless opportunities for peaceful retreat.
Uneven floors, “trees of life”, “dancing windows”, colourful and overgrown roofs – each building tells a story.
ADRIANA SASSOON 