Thermae Lex

2017

Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Thermae Lex is a modern Roman style bath house situated atop an old abandoned distillery warehouse. It is located in the distillery district of Lexington, KY where many similar rundown buildings are being renovated and adapted as modern amenities.

As the warehouse below is converted into luxury loft spaces, its flat roof remains unplanned and provides an opportunity for an amenity hard to come by in the midwest.

The bath house, built of concrete and shale, offers three healing experiences: the tepidarium, the caldarium, and the fridgidarium. These rooms are situated along a defined circulataory path that leads patrons from the changing rooms, through the pools, and finally into the main bathing atrium.

All drawings and renderings are hand-drawn, graphite on museum board. A palimpsest of lines and indentations tells the story of Thermae Lex, a resurrection of old-eastern medicine.

Credits

Jane Foote
Designer

Prof. Brian Andrews
Mentor