Newly opened Municipal Swimming Hall in Louny
A great deal of interest from visitors was sparked by the newly opened Municipal Swimming Hall in Louny in September. However, people enjoyed the pools, wellness, and gym for only a month. Due to the worsening COVID situation, the government suspended the operation of all pools on October 9 until the number of daily infections decreases. The swimming hall, which still shines with newness, has now been waiting for its reopening for a month and a half. Maintenance costs are climbing to 200,000 crowns per month.
The swimming hall in the town of Louny had been missing since 2016, when the original pool from the 1980s had to close due to a state of emergency. After the demolition of the old hall, the city leaders selected from five proposals for the new pool. The variant proposed by the Brno studio dkarchitekti won, which designed the new building as a black slanted prism reflecting the slope of the local terrain. Also noteworthy is the generously open southern side of the building made up of nearly seven-meter-high glass panels.
“At the pool's building, we worked with the contrast between the environment inside and outside. While outside, pedestrians hide from the cold and wind in coats and hats during winter, inside, people stay in swimsuits and enjoy the pleasant warm environment. Our generously glazed wall seems to reflect this situation and has undulated under the influence of this contrast,” describes the leader of the dkarchitekti studio, David Kudla.
The southern glazed facade allows for maximum thermal gains and also suitable contact with the surroundings. The extension of the roof over the glazed facade is not only for aesthetic reasons but also protects against overheating in summer and maximizes sunlight entering inside during winter.
The complex includes a 25-meter pool with six lanes, a lazy river, an outdoor hot tub, a paddling pool for the smallest children with a slide, and a children’s pool in a separate section. Visitors can also climb to a tower 16 meters high with a view of the beautiful curves of the Czech Central Highlands and slide down an eighty-meter-long waterslide. There is also a wellness center with a sauna world, a small gym, and an indoor bar.
However, all these attractions could only be enjoyed by visitors for a month, after which the new swimming hall had to suspend operations due to measures against the spread of the coronavirus. “We operated for exactly 28 days. We received very positive feedback from visitors, and many were already looking forward to the pool,” describes Andrea Kuďousková, director of the Loun Swimming Area Administration. Maintenance costs for the closed complex are climbing into the hundreds of thousands per month. Due to the closure, all pools were drained to save on water heating costs. “In the case of the easing of measures, we are able to fully restart operations within 14 days. All pools need to be filled, chemicals need to be supplied, and hygiene samples must be taken, which also takes some time,” added Kuďousková.
In addition to the pool in Louny, the Brno studio dkarchitekti completed another project this year. This is the facility of the Brno Public Transport Company for cleaning and maintaining trams in Pisárky, featuring a 117-meter-long facade covered with pyramidal perforated panels, which are illuminated at night, and mosaic-like red gates for the passage of trains. The building received an award from the Czech Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians during the Construction of the Year exhibition. It was also nominated for the Grand Prix of Architects.
In Brno, the studio is currently preparing another building—a multifunctional residential and administrative complex in the rapidly growing district of Bohunice. “The complex will consist of six buildings, four of which are intended for housing, while the other two will house offices, shops, and restaurants. The buildings will be interconnected underground by two underground levels, where parking spaces will be located,” outlined David Kudla, whose studio is the general designer of the new complex.
More information >
The swimming hall in the town of Louny had been missing since 2016, when the original pool from the 1980s had to close due to a state of emergency. After the demolition of the old hall, the city leaders selected from five proposals for the new pool. The variant proposed by the Brno studio dkarchitekti won, which designed the new building as a black slanted prism reflecting the slope of the local terrain. Also noteworthy is the generously open southern side of the building made up of nearly seven-meter-high glass panels.
“At the pool's building, we worked with the contrast between the environment inside and outside. While outside, pedestrians hide from the cold and wind in coats and hats during winter, inside, people stay in swimsuits and enjoy the pleasant warm environment. Our generously glazed wall seems to reflect this situation and has undulated under the influence of this contrast,” describes the leader of the dkarchitekti studio, David Kudla.
The southern glazed facade allows for maximum thermal gains and also suitable contact with the surroundings. The extension of the roof over the glazed facade is not only for aesthetic reasons but also protects against overheating in summer and maximizes sunlight entering inside during winter.
The complex includes a 25-meter pool with six lanes, a lazy river, an outdoor hot tub, a paddling pool for the smallest children with a slide, and a children’s pool in a separate section. Visitors can also climb to a tower 16 meters high with a view of the beautiful curves of the Czech Central Highlands and slide down an eighty-meter-long waterslide. There is also a wellness center with a sauna world, a small gym, and an indoor bar.
However, all these attractions could only be enjoyed by visitors for a month, after which the new swimming hall had to suspend operations due to measures against the spread of the coronavirus. “We operated for exactly 28 days. We received very positive feedback from visitors, and many were already looking forward to the pool,” describes Andrea Kuďousková, director of the Loun Swimming Area Administration. Maintenance costs for the closed complex are climbing into the hundreds of thousands per month. Due to the closure, all pools were drained to save on water heating costs. “In the case of the easing of measures, we are able to fully restart operations within 14 days. All pools need to be filled, chemicals need to be supplied, and hygiene samples must be taken, which also takes some time,” added Kuďousková.
In addition to the pool in Louny, the Brno studio dkarchitekti completed another project this year. This is the facility of the Brno Public Transport Company for cleaning and maintaining trams in Pisárky, featuring a 117-meter-long facade covered with pyramidal perforated panels, which are illuminated at night, and mosaic-like red gates for the passage of trains. The building received an award from the Czech Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians during the Construction of the Year exhibition. It was also nominated for the Grand Prix of Architects.
In Brno, the studio is currently preparing another building—a multifunctional residential and administrative complex in the rapidly growing district of Bohunice. “The complex will consist of six buildings, four of which are intended for housing, while the other two will house offices, shops, and restaurants. The buildings will be interconnected underground by two underground levels, where parking spaces will be located,” outlined David Kudla, whose studio is the general designer of the new complex.
More information >
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
0 comments
add comment
