Reconstruction and Extension of the Kravi Hora Recreation and Sports Facility

THE POSITION AND NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KRAVÍ HORA SUMMER SWIMMING BATHS PLACE IT AMONG THE MOST VALUABLE RECREATION AND RELAXATION FACILITIES IN INNER BRNO. IT IS THE POSITION ON THE KRAVÍ HORA HILLSIDE WITH A VIEW OF THE CITY S DOMINATING FEATURES, ŠPILBERK CASTLE AND THE CATHEDRAL OF STS. PETER AND PAUL, THAT MAKES IT SPECIAL, AS DOES ITS SITUATION WITHIN A CITY PARK. THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT WAS A LOGICAL DETERMINING FACTOR FOR THE OVERALL APPROACH TO BOTH THE RECONSTRUCTION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION, PRIMARILY DEFINED BY A TENDENCY TO MINIMISE BUILDING MASS AND TO INTERCONNECT THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES. THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAS MEANT AS A RESONATOR STRENGTHENING THE UNIQUE MAGIC OF THE PLACE. AS FOR THE ORIGINAL PART OF THE PREMISES BUILT IN 1960S, THE RECONSTRUCTION INCLUDES NOT ONLY AN EXTENSION, BUT ALSO MEASURES TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF SERVICES OFFERED, WHILE PRESERVING THE ORIGINAL VOLUMES AND SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT. BOTH OF THE OUTDOOR POOLS, THE 50 M SWIMMING POOL AND THE BABY POOL, WERE RECONSTRUCTED USING SELF-SUPPORTING STAINLESS STEEL VESSELS WITH BUILT-IN WATER ATTRACTIONS. THE RECONSTRUCTION PRESERVED THE NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE GRASS-GROWN SUNBATHING TERRACES WITH MASONRY COMPRISING QUARRY STONE EXPLOITED ON THE SITE. EVEN THE ORIGINAL STEEL WATER CHUTES WERE RECONDITIONED, THE SPECIAL DESIGN OF WHICH, TYPICAL FOR THE PERIOD OF ORIGIN, IS A PLEASANT SUPPLEMENT TO THE OTHERWISE RIGOROUS HORIZONTAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE CONCRETE AND MASONRY STRUCTURES.

HARMONIOUS AND FULLY ALONG THE LINES OF THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT, THE NEWBUILT SWIMMING HALL EXTENDS THE EXISTING MASS AS WELL AS THE OUTDOOR TERRACES LEVELS, THUS ENABLING BOTH VISUAL AND PRACTICAL INTERCONNECTION OF THE OUTDOOR AND INDOOR POOLS. THE SERVICING PREMISES AND TECHNOLOGY ARE SITUATED ON SUBTERRANEAN LEVELS, AND HENCE THE ONLY VISIBLE PARTS ARE THE SWIMMING HALL AND THE ENTRANCE SUBLEVEL WITH CASH DESKS AND CAFÉ. THE INDOOR POOLS ARE ALSO STAINLESS STEEL STRUCTURES: A 25MLONG SWIMMING POOL USABLE FOR COMPETITIVE SWIMMING IN SIX LANES, A POOL FOR NONSWIMMERS WITH WATER ATTRACTIONS, AND A LARGE WHIRLPOOL WITH WARMER WATER AND MASSAGE JETS.

THANKS TO THE OVERFLOW SYSTEM, WATER LEVEL IS RAISED ABOVE THE FLOOR, THUS ENABLING AN UNDISTURBED VIEW OF THE SURROUNDING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND DOMINATING FEATURES OF THE CITY. BOTH THE MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES SELECTED FOR THE PROJECT EVIDENCE A TENDENCY TOWARD MAXIMUM DURABILITY AND NATURALNESS OF THE PREMISES. BLACK SHALE WITH ITS NATURALLY STRATIFIED SURFACE ENSURES THE NECESSARY ANTISKID PROPERTIES OF THE HALL S FLOOR, THE COMPOUND WOODEN FRAMES OF THE LOAD-BEARING STRUCTURE ARE A SUITABLE SUPPLEMENT TO THE CONCRETE COLUMNS AND FACE CONCRETE WALLS THAT ENSURE 3-D STIFFNESS. A STRETCHED FABRIC FALSE CEILING HIDES LIGHTING, HVAC, RAIN WATER PIPING AND ACOUSTIC INSULATION. THE MATERIALS SELECTED AS WELL AS THE CAREFUL DESIGN OF THE INDIVIDUAL STRUCTURAL DETAILS ARE PROOF OF AN EFFORT TO SIMPLIFY THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE INTERIOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WITH THE AIM OF DRAWING THE VISITOR S ATTENTION TO THE OUTDOOR SPACES, A VIEW OF THE SURROUNDINGS AND THE CITY.