Pink Thermal Baths by FORMA

Public bathhouses, from the steamy Turkish hammams to the serene Japanese onsens, have long played a vital role in fostering collective well-being. For centuries, these spaces have transcended hygiene, offering environments for community, healing, and ritual. Now, New York-based architecture studio FORMA proposes a radical reinterpretation of the bathhouse typology—one that not only channels ancient traditions but also integrates a surprising, hyper-modern counterpart: the data center.

A Dual-Purpose Desert Monument

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the California desert near Biskra Palms, FORMA’s Pink Thermal Baths envision a futuristic oasis—a retreat for both the body and the digital world. The concept merges the luxurious, sensory experience of spa architecture with the functional infrastructure of a subterranean data center, forming a symbiotic relationship between two seemingly opposite typologies.

This imaginative, 2,972 m² proposal is defined by its bold vertical cones and iceberg-like geometries. From afar, the structure resembles a jagged mountain range—or an alien citadel rising from the arid terrain. Up close, however, it opens into a labyrinth of communal spaces, vibrant pools, and sculptural interiors awash in saturated pink. FORMA’s architects, Miroslava Brooks and Daniel Markiewicz, explain that their goal was to rethink how heat, space, and human activity interact: “The excess energy generated by the servers below is reused to heat the thermal baths above—creating a closed-loop system of wellness and technology.”

Architecture of Contrast: Bold Forms, Soft Emotions

While bathhouses often take on earthy, subdued tones, FORMA takes a sharp turn—saturating the structure in an audacious pink. The architects experimented with various color schemes, including classic spa blues, before settling on pink for its emotional resonance and architectural drama. It evokes warmth, optimism, softness—and makes a striking contrast against the muted desert palette.

Concrete, the chosen building material, brings solidity to this dreamlike structure. It allows for the formation of fluid, curved surfaces while maintaining thermal mass and durability. Moreover, its uniformity provides visual cohesion across the entire design—from the conic roofs to the terraces and interiors—reinforcing the project’s singular identity.

Heat as a Design Opportunity

At the heart of the project lies a clever environmental strategy: reusing the waste heat produced by the data center below. Typically invisible and energy-intensive, data centers are essential to the digital age but often hidden from view. Here, they’re integrated as a productive force—heating the pools and warming adjacent rooms during cool desert nights.

FORMA embraces the climatic extremes of the California desert by designing with passive strategies. During the day, the tall conic volumes draw warm air upward, keeping interior spaces naturally cooler. At night, the residual heat from below maintains thermal comfort. This eliminates the need for excessive mechanical conditioning, aligning with both energy efficiency and experiential immersion.

Experiential Interiors: A City Within Walls

Inside, the Pink Thermal Baths unfold like an urban landscape. Each conic volume hosts a distinct program—whether a plunge pool, sauna, resting room, or meditation chamber. The architects describe the interior as a “cityscape of communal rituals,” where guests can wander, disconnect, and connect with others across a variety of spatial experiences.

Unlike traditional layouts, there is no singular axis or formal entrance. The square footprint is porous on all sides, allowing for multiple thresholds and blurred boundaries between inside and out. This permeability invites spontaneity—echoing the fluid nature of both water and digital data.

A Landscape for the Future

Although the Pink Thermal Baths are still a conceptual vision, their implications reach far beyond architecture. FORMA’s design challenges conventions in both infrastructure and wellness. By placing a data center beneath a bathhouse, the architects confront questions of visibility, utility, and pleasure. Can the systems that power our virtual lives also serve our physical well-being? Can excess heat, typically considered waste, become the very source of relaxation?

The project also reflects on scale and perception. The architects note how desert landscapes often dwarf human scale, demanding structures that are bold enough to hold their own visually, while simultaneously offering intimate interior moments for reflection, restoration, and delight.

Material, Form, and Philosophy in Harmony

FORMA’s design philosophy revolves around merging contradictions—hard and soft, utility and luxury, isolation and gathering. By committing to a singular material palette and geometric form, the architects create a holistic architecture that is at once monumental and sensual, poetic and pragmatic.

In an era where both climate resilience and digital dependency are growing concerns, the Pink Thermal Baths ask us to imagine new forms of architecture—ones that do not separate the technical from the emotional, but rather allow them to coexist, reinforce, and even elevate each other.