architectural concept
like a slightly opened oyster, protection to the outside and a generous opening to the outdoor area is created, allowing the intimate interior to be washed through with light and nature. the built water world develops along the street-facing edges of the site. the positioning of the building provides protection for the outdoor area. “towards the sun” houses a shell with an embracing gesture for all bathing and wellness activities. under a common roof lie clearly zoned functional sequences, which are separated in the entrance area into wellness and swimming pool.
the entrance area is 1.0 m above street level, the sports swimming pool is gently embedded in the terrain. with this vertical layering, the following advantages can be achieved:
- distancing from the street
- overview from the entrance area into the
swimming hall
- direct access to the spectator stands
- cloakrooms and swimming pool are on one level
- cloakrooms also serve – cross-free – the outdoor area
- cross-free short circuit between wellness and
swimming pool
- creation of a swimming pool arena
like a slightly opened oyster, protection to the outside and a generous opening to the outdoor area is created, allowing the intimate interior to be washed through with light and nature. the built water world develops along the street-facing edges of the site. the positioning of the building provides protection for the outdoor area. “towards the sun” houses a shell with an embracing gesture for all bathing and wellness activities. under a common roof lie clearly zoned functional sequences, which are separated in the entrance area into wellness and swimming pool.
the entrance area is 1.0 m above street level, the sports swimming pool is gently embedded in the terrain. with this vertical layering, the following advantages can be achieved:
- distancing from the street
- overview from the entrance area into the
swimming hall
- direct access to the spectator stands
- cloakrooms and swimming pool are on one level
- cloakrooms also serve – cross-free – the outdoor area
- cross-free short circuit between wellness and
swimming pool
- creation of a swimming pool arena
the swimming pool is at the focus of the elevated entrance area in the east, the sun terraces in the north, the ramp in the west, and the outdoor ramp in the south. through the vertical enveloping of the swimming pool, a well-surveyable and visually intensified swimming pool arena is created. the wellness area is protected from the views of bathers through gentle terrain modeling. thus, the associated outdoor area is part of the park landscape, yet its intimacy is confirmed through vertical distance. zoning within the wellness area follows the necessary sequence from public to private. through the suspended rest level within the spatial volume, which is assigned to both the medical and wellness areas, the spatial experience of the wellness wing becomes three-dimensional. the circulation paths strictly follow the principle of separation of clean and dirty areas. access to the indoor areas for bathers and wellness guests is only possible via the cloakroom sluice function. access to the outdoor area is possible both through the cloakrooms and the main passage. the vertical layering of functions – swimming pool/cloakrooms and entrance – connects all functions without crossing paths.
- location:
- graz, austria
- architecture:
- fasch&fuchs.architekt:innen
- team architecture:
- florian bylow, fred hofbauer, bianca mann, reinhard muxel, julia preschern, heike weichselbaumer
- structural engineering:
- werkraum ingenieure zt gmbh
- building services engineering:
- team gmi d.i. michael berger
- model making:
- patrick klammer
- competition:
- 2008
see project