Odense Aqua Center

FOUR POOLS — The program included four pools: for swimming, relaxation, playing and diving.

CONTINUOUS CANAL — Rather than a compact swimming pool with short dimensions, BIG proposed to stretch out the pool to become a 150 m long canal. BIG then plugged other pools onto the canal, creating a continuous waterscape allowing visitors to swim from one activity to the other.

BENDING THE CANAL — Finally, BIG connected the ends of the canal, bending it like a running track in a stadium.

ODENSE AQUA CENTER — The result is a waterscape of pools, like a big lake, with an island in the middle.

 — The island has different peninsulas for different activities and a lifeguard spot in a panopticon position in the center of the circle.

 — To celebrate the fact that people could swim around the countryside, rather than going back and forth inside a swimming hall, BIG chose to float the facade three meter above the ground to liberate the 360 Panorama of the landscape.

 — Traditionally, a swimming pool would be surrounded by a layer of program: arrival hall, dressing rooms, saunas and spas, blocking most of the relationship to the outside.

 — In this case, BIG organized all these functions as programmatic beams spanning across the ceiling. All of these beams would rest on columns standing on the island and reach out to carry the façade.

 — One big beam for the thermal baths, two for dressing rooms, one for women and one for men and finally a restaurant and a lobby connecting to the existing buildings next door.