Graduation house
The thorn house was used mainly for the salt production in the 16th and 17th century. The graduation house was made of a wooden frame, which was filled with bundles of brushwood, the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). The salt content of the conveyed water has been increased due to the natural vaporization of the water. This allowed salt springs with a low salt content to produce a concentrated brine. The repeated vaporization of the brine causes contaminations like lime scale and plaster to deposit in the brushwood and the typical grey-brown thorn stone is built-up. This method allowed extracting a highly concentrated brine (the maximum salt content was 27%) with the simple resources of this time (sun, wind, time).
The purpose of graduation houses changed in the 20th century: the graduation houses were used less for the purpose of salt production rather as health resorts for inhaling salt-enriched air. The drizzling brine enriches the air around the graduation house with salt – the water drops bind particles in the air. This has, similar to sea air, positive effects on pollen allergies and asthma. Inhaling the salted air lubricates the respiratory system and positively influences the respiratory organs. The fine salt crystals have an expectorant effect, which cleans the respiratory system and causes the mucosa to detumesce. Many physicians and alternative practitioners therefore suggest a longer stay on the coast or at a health resort specialized on the effect of graduation houses.
Thermarium captured the ambience of the graduation house, the blackthorn bundles, the grey-brown thorn stone and the white salt crystals and implemented it into the graduation house cabins. The increased salt content of the air close to the graduation wall in the cabin can be reached by the vaporization of a diluted 20% iodized brine. The 20% iodized brine may for hygienic reasons solely be offered in disposable 10 litres containers. The cabin is also equipped with the corresponding heated benches and walls to create a comfortable room climate. The ambience may also be enriched with sound installations. The sound installation in combination with the brine-containing air and the radiant heat create a bio climate that simulates a stay at the beach and allows the graduation house guest to immerse into this world.
The increased salt content in the air may achieve the following positive effects:
