Balneary Centre in Persani Village, Brasov

The project location, Salty Baths in Persani Village, Brasov County, has an extremely high importance for local residents. Few know that this place brings togheter a generous number of people in the summer time, some come for treatment from far away (treatments with salt waters and mud) and other only for relaxation. The History of this place is over three hundred years old . The project idea started from the desire of developing a large scale project in this rural area, offering the possibility of wider development of the whole teritory from many ways: socially, economically, culturally. Starting with the statement that countryside gives viewers a feeling of relaxation, freedom, health and continuing with the existence of these curative water springs from the site, it may justify the choise made for this kind of project. Development of existing function into a larger project would lead to improved services, proper exploitation of natural resuorces to high standards, creating job facilities and functional areas for the benefit of the entire community (shops, recreation area, cultural area). This kind of intervention would create also the possibility of developing rural tourism. The volumetric concept started from the idea of enclosure, specific for the Transilvanian architecture. The interior courtyard, where the curative water springs are situated, gives this area some privacy, separated from the stret noise, but also visible from certain angles. The idea is emphasized by the arrangement inside the inner court of the fall of land levels. Taking into account that rural areas are closer to nature more than any other places, the choise of the site in this area guided us to merge with nature, by combining natural elements, forms and materials with the construction itself, but also by continuing the green natural element on the roofs. Using natural materials found in the neighborhood of the site, is creating stong links between the subject building and site. Proposed functions are addressed to those who wish to accomodate here and enjoy the spa treatments, but also for those who come just for leisure. There is also an area with separate acces, addressed to the inhabitants of the villages near by, just to take the first step in the development and revitalization project (the lack of commercial and cultural faccilities near by). The proposed functions are independent of each other, but still connected by some common areas. Exterior spaces are in close contact with the interior by the presence of glass italics with direct acces to courtyard.