salzburg pedagogical academy

the brief was the conversion of the former indoor swimming pool of the federal teacher training academy in salzburg into a didactics, computer science, music and media center as well as a library.
the existing structure was barely altered; structural interventions in the load-bearing system and facades were limited to the connection points between old and new.
the spatial quality of the former swimming pool, with its tall, bright spaces, could be preserved.

the new building functions are conceived as an open spatial composition across four levels.
from the untouched swimming pool basin, walkable, two-story book walls rise up, accessible from the upper level via glass walkways from the pool edge and connected to the deep storage area in the basement.

above the book shelves, a platform for computer science was inserted into the existing reinforced concrete skeleton as a lightweight steel construction.
this level communicates with the overall space via a gallery, with movable reading desks integrated into its parapet.
as a new, transparent spatial volume, only the connecting corridor between the main building and the sports wing appears, constructed in steel and glass. in collaboration with thomas hamann, a lighting concept was realized as part of the art-in-architecture program.
colored fluorescent tubes and reflective, light-directing blinds create subtle color and light atmospheres in the various areas.