Swimming Center
The location of the building in the environment of the marshes of Barbate (Cadiz) has pursued two important intentions since the beginning of the project: work with a correct scale due to its surroundings and understanding the place and its traditions and customs.
The design of the sports pavilion aims to achieve an appropriate relationship with the residential environment and landscape of the area. Its location on the outskirts of Barbate, in a natural area far form the town center, was the reason for extending the program in the plot. The building looks for a proper relationship with the natural landscape and with the visual references. The only references are the traditional salting warehouses and part of the pine forest area next to the plot. Therefore, the roof have held the value of these traditional warehouses and the courtyard with pines reminds the pine forest area. The lack of connection between the access to the sports pavilion and the building itself is the reason for designing a new entry on the west area of the building. This area represents the void in the volume, which combined with the front green area leads the visitor to the main entrance. This wooded area that introduces the visitor to small dunes that change with the intensity of the winds, gives continuity to the interior void from which one enters, providing the appropriate identity and recognition of the public and open nature of the building.
The West end houses the change rooms, control and fitness center, connected by a hall and an interior courtyard that filters and incorporates the sunlight. After this court and located on the east side of the building, the swimming pools are situated in a clear open space, illuminated by warm walls and beams painted in white that allow us to reduce the amount of lighting fixtures that would normally be required by the pool areas.
Among the main contributions of this facility are those that try to advance on the qualification of this type of sports facility. Traditionally perceived as a dark space and with little relationship with its surrounding environment. In this project, the accesses, the private spaces, the use of natural light in the pool area, and their relationship with the outside are all functional, but at the same time aesthetic.
