KVINAbadet

As part of an initiative to attract and retain residents, Kvinesdal Municipality launched a limited planning and design competition for a new swimming hall, with four participating firms. Centrally positioned along the riverbank in Liknes, the facility was intended to stimulate activity and development west of the river.

The program included a 25-meter, six-lane pool with integrated diving facilities (1, 3, and 5 m), long and short slides, and a shallow-water zone with adjustable depth for swimming instruction. Additional amenities comprise a children’s pool, a 10 × 6 m therapy and wellness pool, a wellness area with plunge pools and sauna, a climbing wall, and a café.

Ratio won the competition with Over bekken etter vann (“Across the stream for water”). The design features a clear, legible volume defined by two sculptural “lifts” marking the diving area and the main entrance. Inside, spatial surprises enrich the experience: the climbing wall animating the foyer, and a small atrium that introduces daylight—and occasionally snowfall—into the bathing area, while connecting the sauna to an outdoor hot pool.

Interiors combine raw concrete walls, dark grey ceramic floor tiles, and extensive oak ceilings and detailing, creating warmth, tactility, and a coherent identity. The pools form bright counterpoints to the restrained palette, and the red concrete diving tower becomes a striking centerpiece. Mosaic tiles finish pool surfaces, while varying tile formats in changing areas aid orientation.

Externally, custom aluminum cassettes with a composite core give the building a shimmering, silver-grey façade that shifts with weather and light. Glass panels alternate with horizontal oak cladding, a motif echoed inside through oak-slatted ceilings backed by acoustic fabric. Reception, café kitchen, staff areas, and sauna are designed as freestanding oak-clad volumes.

Given the site’s proximity to the river, the 200-year flood level guided elevations and construction. The building stands on driven concrete piles, with its mass counteracting buoyancy during floods. The structure is cast-in-place concrete, with slabs poured to final slopes; pore-breaking membranes were used during wall casting to prevent surface blemishes.

A groundwater-based heat pump provides heating, and pool water is treated using ultrafiltration.

Ratio served as architect, responsible applicant, lead consultant for the interdisciplinary team, and responsible designer for building physics (class 3). The project used a main contract for groundwork and building works, with separate contracts for other disciplines.

KVINAbadet opened on 16 December 2016.