Oberstdorf Thermal Baths in the Allgäu region of Germany, near the Austrian border, has recreated a four-season wellness and health center with alpine views, alpine architecture and alpine cuisine. Designed by Munich-based Auer Weber Architects and completed in early 2026, the new building blends sensitively into the mountain landscape with its structured forms, pitched roofs and a vertically structured timber façade. Inside the wellness center are new ceramic tiles and modern bathroom ceramics to ensure high quality, design clarity and long-term reliability.

© agrob Bucktal.de / David Matthiessen

The new thermal spa attracts many local and international visitors as it replaces the former baths on the site, combining wellness, sport and relaxation in different areas of the complex.  Approximately 100,00 square feet of floor area provides the setting for the new thermal spa, sauna, wellness facilities and catering. Large windows open up the bathing hall to the landscape and offer impressive views of the Allgäu Alps.

Architecturally, the new building is an ensemble of several structures, with sloping roofs and minimalist design drawing on regional building traditions and translating them into contemporary architecture.

The generously windowed swimming hall forms the center of the complex. Here, wood, concrete and glass combine to create a calm interior design that directs the eye toward the landscape and swimming hall. Different recreational zones, from sports-oriented pools and relaxation areas to the sauna complex, are interconnected.

© agrob Bucktal.de / David Matthiessen

With the Nova ceramic surface in anthracite, the design is carried through from the exterior into the interior. Floor surfaces, wall coverings and seating areas form a consistent, tranquil base evoking the mineral presence of the mountains and creating the architectural framework for the various bathing areas.

The children’s pool also reflects the color palette of the water, where it loops around mosaics in sea green and aqua blue, creating a fresh, lively color scheme. In the relaxation areas, this design amenity is complemented by lighter, mineral-inspired shades.

© agrob Bucktal.de / David Matthiessen

The new Thermal Oberstdorf not only creates a visitor attraction for the region, but also serves as an example of how architecture, landscape and materials can be brought together to form a harmonious concept. Working with clay since 1755, Agrob Buchtal makes an important contribution to the center’s stoneware, porcelain stoneware and earthenware, combing design quality with the high functional requirements of modern swimming pool architecture.

In the past several years, Oberstdorf has transformed itself from a historic remote village (first mentioned in 1141) into a premier European tourist resort. Known as an all-season sports hub featuring the famous 1925 Schattenberg Ski Jump and numerous modern ski resorts, as well as stunning summer hiking and biking trails, Oberstdorf offers many hotels and lodges available in the area, either in the town of Oberstdorf, the small villages in the region, or in the nearby Bavarian Alps along the German/Austrian border.