Architecture

Swimming Pool in Tortosa
by Arquitecturia

Amy Frearson

3 May 2012

Slideshow: these ridged metal walls enclose the facilities of an outdoor swimming pool that Spanish firm Arquitecturia have just completed in the town of Tortosa.

Located right beside a busy road, the single-storey building folds around the perimeter of the pool to maintain privacy for swimmers.

The building has a concrete frame, which extends beyond the entrance to create an exterior canopy.

Other swimming pools we’ve featured include one inside a ramshackle timber basin – see more here.

Photography is by Pedro Pegenaute.

Here’s some more information from Arquitecturia:

Exterior Swimming Pool and changing room in Tortosa.

The facility is located on the Jesus Road, between the Canal de l’Ebre and the Barranc de la Vall Cervera, and it is accessed from a public space prior to widening of the pavement on this road.

One of the aims of the project is to provide the pools a space removed from the Road and the wind, that overlooks the canal and the future of sports area, as well as to provide a good orientation to optimize its use. As such, the linear structure between the road and the swimming pools sets up as a backdrop that holds the area for outdoor activities.

The boundaries between inside and outside are explored by the structure of concrete and the facade system made of metal profiles. Between these two elements, there ase spaces like porches, patios, shades… areas of ambiguity that dilute and confuse the relationship between inside and outside.

The project is structured around the public space and entrance arcade, with the bar positioned to one side serving as a vantage overlooking the future running track, and the lobby on the other side, drawing the eye to the outdoor pools. The space outside the pools is shaped by a series of shaded areas that connect the three functional units: bar, changing rooms and lobby.