Function
Indoor swimming pool
Discipline
Project group management, architect, interior designer, responsible applicant, SHA-KP
As part of its "wish to stay" initiative, Kvinesdal Municipality conducted a limited planning and design competition in 2012/2013 for an indoor swimming pool. Four companies participated. Centrally located by the riverbank in the Liknes municipal centre, the swimming pool is intended to play an important role in generating activity and development of the town centre west of the river. The programme contained a 25-metre pool with six lanes and integrated diving facilities (1, 3 and 5 m) and a short and a long slide. The pool has a part with an adjustable bottom for children's swimming lessons. The facility also contains a paddling pool, a 10 x 6 m therapy/relaxation pool and a relaxation area with deep pools and sauna, a climbing wall and cafeteria.
Ratio won the competition with the draft "Crossing the stream for water". The building has been given a clear and plain volume, with two "uplifts" marking the diving area and the main entrance with the climbing wall, respectively. Internally, the building offers some spatial "surprises": the climbing wall in the entrance hall and a small atrium in the swimming area bringing in unexpected daylight – and snow – in the middle of the building, offering the possibility of bathing in a warm outdoor deep pool in connection with the sauna.
Along with the consistent use of oak in ceilings and details, untreated concrete walls and dark ceramic floor tiles provide tactility, identity and coherence in the interiors. The pools appear as shining contrasts to the consistently subdued colours. The diving tower in red concrete is a focus point in the hall. The deep pool, paddling pool and elements are clad in mosaic tiles, locker rooms and toilets have ceramic tiles in various dimensions and colours to make navigation easy.
On the outside, the chosen cladding is specially designed cassettes in aluminium with a composite core. The light, silver grey surface reflects – like the water surface – the changes in daylight: from grey, cloudy days to shining reflections in sunlight. The glass panels alternate with sections of horizontal oak cladding. The oak is retrieved as a theme in the interior: the ceiling in the swimming pool hall, the therapy area and other public areas are made with narrow oak slats with overlying fabric and acoustic mat.
The reception, cafeteria kitchen, staff room and sauna are detached "boxes" in the plan, clad with oak veneered panels; the sauna is clad with the same oak panel as the facades. The slatted ceiling and interior details are made of oak.
With the immediate proximity to the river, 200 years of flood levels define heights and the choice of construction solutions. The building is founded on rammed concrete piles which, together with the building's own weight, help counter buoyancy in case of floods. The support system is cast-in-place concrete, floors are cast-in-place with falls laid directly in the concrete formwork. Pore-breaking cloth with glued-on formwork elements were used during the casting of concrete walls to avoid visible air pores.
A heat pump is installed based on heat extraction from the groundwater. The used water from the pools is recycled through ultrafiltration.
In addition to architectural design and the role of responsible applicant, Ratio has been responsible for the interdisciplinary engineering group management and the role of responsible designer for construction physics, enterprise classification 3. The project has been executed as the main contract for groundwork and construction works, with other disciplines as a side contract.
The KVINAbadet public bath was opened on 16 December 2016.
