Architect: TOMPOS Csaba
When designing the new swimming pool, the most important goal of the architect was to fit it to the beautiful environment of the Lövérek hills and to leave most of the site free as a green space. This has been facilitated by the block-like layout of the building; the pools, the grandstands and the changing rooms have been grouped under the great, horizontal plane of the roof in such a way, that the surrounding subalpine landscape can freely interact with the interior area. The mass of the building constitutes visually only of the overhanging roof, the lightweight, glazed facade provides transparentness.
The new swimming pool has been built on the plot of the municipal swimming complex, in place of the old, demolished swimming pool building built in 1970, which had been designed by Lajos Tolnay/KÖZTI. The first preliminary designs had been aimed at the extension of the old building, but research and calculations proved that it was more advantageous and feasible, both economically and technically, to build a new swimming centre in place of the old one, that could be operated integratedly, to provide training and competition venue for every discipline of aquatics sports. The new swimming centre has become a sophisticated recreational and sports establishment for the residents of the city, which can be operated in a concentrated and economical way.
The public entrance of the swimming pool opens from Deákkúti Street, which has been rebuilt, parking places have been established on both sides. The grandstands are accessed from and vacated through the two-storey high lobby, which gives access to both the indoor swimming pools and the existing open air recreational pools through the changing rooms. An alternative access is provided to the open air pools from the lower lobby, without having to enter the changing rooms. The service entrance of the swimming pool also opens from Deákkúti Street, it gives access to the technical areas. The pools have been arranged one after the other in the shared pool hall, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the building. There is a 25 m training pool (for artistic swimming, swimming and water polo), a 50 m pool suitable for swimming and water polo competition events, two teaching pools, a warm water plunge pool and a jacuzzi. The grandstands are located along the pools, on one side. Protection against the sun is provided by the overhanging roof. Owing to its large glazed walls, the pool hall has direct visual connection with the surrounding green areas. The different changing rooms are located in the pool hall area, under the grandstands, together with a gym, a sauna and the doctor’s room. The corridor, which separates the changing rooms and the toilet-shower block, facilitates the use of the latter by the guests of the open air pools as well, without having to enter the changing area. The basement under the pool hall is occupied by mechanical installations and equipment rooms for the pools, storage areas, workshops and staff changing rooms. The boiler room is located at the southern end of the building, the administrative offices are accessed from the upper lobby. These functions are served and connected by the service staircase.
Due to the existing, sloping terrain, the green area around the new building is connected to the green areas of the open air swimming pools by terraced lawn. The landscaping works have not always been implemented according to the design, the route of the vehicular and pedestrian traffic within the plot have changed and so the green areas are different as well. The proposed screening around the transformer, located close to the entrance area, has not been built.
The structure of the pool hall consists of in-situ reinforced concrete pillars and walls supporting glued laminated timber beams of 42.00 m span, covered by timber suspended ceiling. The more than 10,000 m2 area flat roof has built in rainwater drainage and synthetic waterproofing. The facades have been built of curtain wall panels with aluminium mullions and triple glazing. During construction, the circular staircases have been given dryvit finish instead of the proposed paint on fair face concerete.
Location: Sopron, Lövér körút 82.
Built: 2021
Architect: TOMPOS Csaba
Associate architects: ÖKRÖSNÉ PERNESZ Ágnes, MENCZELESZ Dániel, BALOGH Edit, LABÁDI Zoltán
Structural engineers: GURUBI Imre, OBORZIL Géza
Mechanical engineer: SZAKÁL Szilárd
Electrical engineers: MÁRAMAROSI András, RITZL András
Interior architect: CZÉH Judit
Landscape architect: HAVASSY Gabriella
Area: 11,600 m2