About the Impact of Places

The Roman architect Vitruvius (Marcus Vitruvius Pollio) emphasized that architects not only had to master geometry and mathematics. No, it was just as important to be able to grasp the spirit of a place.

Every place has an inherent soul, every place has certain characteristics. These shape the personality of the people who stay there - according to the thought process of the Roman philosopher Maurus Servius Honoratus, who coined the term “genius loci - spirit of the place” in his day.

Consequently, we are different people when we are in New York, Rome or the Upper Engadine in the mountains. Is this the reason for our desire to travel? Not just the discovery of new places, but rather the discovery of new sides to ourselves? “We are closer to ourselves in certain places than in others” (Dr. Roberta Rio).

Let's take cloisters as an example: they were once built near underground water. Whether due to the water source or their geometry, cloisters have always conveyed a magical stillness, an almost calming effect. An effect that future guests of the Maistra 160 can also experience in the spa area - because here too, the design starting point was deliberately a cloister: “Not wellness...rather a cloister with an atrium, fire, warmth and cold, a bath, perhaps we could call it a SPA?” (Gion A. Caminada, architect Maistra 160).

Source: «Der Topophiliaeffekt» by Dr. Roberta Rio.