Public Swimming Pool Großfeldsiedlung

The new indoor swimming pool expands the existing combined pool facility in Vienna Floridsdorf with a 25m pool for school and club sports. The independent swimming hall is connected to the existing entrance hall only via two cantilevered bridges. Between the old and new buildings, a green lane is created, which intuitively guides visitors to the new, light-flooded foyer. On the first floor, the bridges create a flexibly configurable circulation space through which bathers can move between the swimming halls, visually interweaving old and new.

The aim was to treat the existing structure as carefully as possible and to construct the new building using sustainable construction principles adapted to progressive climate change. Through the minimally invasive intervention of the bridges and by utilizing the existing entrance hall, the existing structure could be carefully integrated into an operationally optimized building concept. To reduce soil sealing and heat islands, the new building occupies part of the former parking lot with a slender footprint, preserving the mature trees. The greened facade additionally contributes to ecological diversity in the urban space and, in combination with the expansive roof edge, also provides shading. By positioning the pool on the first floor, a contiguous, barrier-free bathing level could be created on the one hand, while on the other hand the new swimming hall, accessible from all sides, is protected from unwanted views, offering guests the experience of swimming among the treetops.

While the technical floor was constructed using functional concrete construction, load-bearing structures and surfaces made of timber define the atmosphere of the foyers, swimming halls, and changing areas. The straightforward timber structure of the nearly 6m-high swimming hall consists of columns and long-span beams made of glued laminated timber and a roof slab made of cross-laminated timber elements. In reference to the facade articulation and striking roof contour of the existing pool, the new building is conceived with a widely projecting wooden roof slab and clerestory bands. A varying horizon between glazing and open timber facade runs around the building, making the functional areas behind it legible. In addition to the renovation of surfaces, a new and raised roof was added to the existing swimming hall. By shifting the structural plane, the clear height above the pool is increased and the hall is supplied with glare-free daylight through translucent lateral light pockets.