Gensingen indoor swimming pool

Old pool, new colours

Gensingen indoor swim­ming pool

Adver­to­rial

 

 

BZM Archi­tekten & Trold­tekt Acou­stic Panels

Situation

Around 30,000 visi­tors come to the Gensingen indoor swim­ming pool every year to swim laps, learn to swim or relax in the sauna.

In order for it to stay that way in the future, the small commu­nity between Mainz and Bad Kreuz­nach in Rhine­land-Pala­ti­nate has now invested almost three million euros in the exten­sive moder­ni­sa­tion and refur­bish­ment of its ageing swim­ming pool.

History

The Gensingen indoor swim­ming pool, opened in 1972/1974, was built as a concrete struc­ture. In the 1990s, the exposed aggre­gate concrete facades were provided with addi­tional thermal insu­la­tion and trape­zo­idal sheets.

In addi­tion to rene­wing windows and doors, the elec­trical systems and the water supply, the sani­tary faci­li­ties have now also been adapted to current tech­nical and hygienic stan­dards.

Actions

New parti­tio­ning now allows bathers to enjoy more privacy. A sepa­rate chan­ging area for people with disa­bi­li­ties inclu­ding a stair­lift in the swim­ming pool has also been accom­plished.

The grea­test chall­enge was to renew the outdated venti­la­tion system, which was replaced by a space-opti­mised, elevated tech­nical centre.

Design

After being comple­tely reno­vated, the Gensingen indoor swim­ming pool is now not only opera­tively connected, but also bril­li­antly desi­gned. For the tile and ceiling design, the plan­ners at BZM Archi­tekten from Wies­baden have deve­loped a new colour concept that extends from the chan­ging rooms to the sani­tary area to the swim­ming pool.

The coloured acou­stic Trold­tekt panels on the suspended ceiling, made from the sustainable buil­ding mate­rials wood and cement, fit perfectly into the overall concept. Warm colours in yellow, red and brown, some of which are also arranged in waves on the walls, contri­bute to the plea­sant atmo­sphere.

We did this.

Project data

Architect

BZM ARCHITEKTEN
Matthias Marhöfer
Sommer­straße 3
D — 65197 Wies­baden

Ceiling

Trold­tekt A/S
Sletvej 2A
DK — 8310 Tranbjerg J

Client

VG Sprend­lingen-Gensingen
Elisa­be­then­straße 1
D — 55576 Sprend­lingen

Physical address

Hallenbad Gensingen
Am Hallenbad
D — 55457 Gensingen

Opening

2020

Photograph

Olaf Wiechers, Archi­tekt
Büro für Archi­tektur  +  Medi­en­dienst­leis­tungen
Klaus-Groth-Str. 1
D — 21629 Neu Wulmstorf

Author

Olaf Wiechers, Archi­tekt
Büro für Archi­tektur  +  Medi­en­dienst­leis­tungen
Klaus-Groth-Str. 1
D — 21629 Neu Wulmstorf

© Olaf Wiechers, Archi­tekt

Photos

Contact

How can we be helpful?

Address
More Sports Media
Am Weit­kamp 17
D‑44795 Bochum

Phone
+49 234 5466 0374
+49 172 4736 332

Rulantica

Silent giant

The Rulan­tica indoor water world

Adver­to­rial

 

 

pbr & Trold­tekt Acou­stic panels

Situation

The incom­pa­rable Rulan­tica fairy tale water world in Baden-Würt­tem­berg offers adven­turous and extra­or­di­nary aquatic fun for the whole family. The gigantic water park with an area of 40,000 square metres is located in the imme­diate vici­nity of Euro­pa­park Rust, Germany’s largest amuse­ment park.

Embedded within 450,000 m² premises, which also includes a hotel, the magical Scan­di­na­vian water world comprises nine elabo­ra­tely themed areas that are popu­lated by fantasy crea­tures such as mermaids, trolls and sea mons­ters.

Rulantica’s attrac­tions include 17 water slides, the largest wave pool in Germany, a flow channel, several water play­grounds for diffe­rent age groups and water­falls.

Rulantica

Behind Rulantica’s imagi­na­tive and mystical scenery there is also a diverse story based on the youth book series with the same name by Michaela Hanauer. The story tells about the orphan Mats and the mermaid Aquina from the myste­rious island of Rulan­tica in the North Sea.

The park’s inte­rior comprises a 32,000 m² large hall that is 20 metres in height, the shape of which is remi­nis­cent of a shell. It is traversed by one of the largest wooden roofs in Europe, made of natural wooden trusses (span­ning up to 50 metres) and supported by five circu­larly arranged concrete columns with a diameter of 1.20 m.

Construction

A complex venti­la­tion concept ensures that inlet air flows in from above and the air is drawn in at the lower area of the hall. The tech­no­logy was installed in speci­ally deve­loped wooden frame­work boxes. In this way, pollut­ants are opti­mally removed from the water surface.

The main facade is divided into five 33-metre-wide elements by facade towers. With their filigree steel and glass cons­truc­tions, they allow a noti­ceable amount of daylight into the hall.

pbr

Ceilings

The fact that it is surpri­singly quiet in the impres­sive Rulan­tica bathing world is, on the one hand, due to the many rocks and deco­ra­tive elements, and, on the other hand, due to the Trold­tekt acou­stic panels built into the ceiling.

The panels, which are suitable for damp rooms and made from the 100 percent natural buil­ding mate­rials wood and cement, are charac­te­rised by excel­lent sound-absor­bing proper­ties. The acou­stic panels were also installed in the heavily frequented foyer and in the chan­ging room area.

We did ths.

Project data

Architect

pbr
Planungs­büro Rohling AG
Haupt­sitz Osna­brück
Albert-Einstein-Straße 2
D — 49076 Osna­brück

Ceiling

Trold­tekt A/S
Sletvej 2A
DK — 8310 Tranbjerg J

Client

Europa-Park Frei­zeit und Fami­li­en­park Mack KG
Europa-Park-Straße 2
D ‑77977 Rust

Physical address

Rulan­tica
Roland-Mack-Ring 1
D — 77977 Rust

Opening

2019

Author

Olaf Wiechers, Archi­tekt
Büro für Archi­tektur  +  Medi­en­dienst­leis­tungen
Klaus-Groth-Str. 1
D — 21629 Neu Wulmstorf

© David Franck

Photos

Contact

How can we be helpful?

Address
More Sports Media
Am Weit­kamp 17
D‑44795 Bochum

Phone
+49 234 5466 0374
+49 172 4736 332

Isfuglen

Hot and cold with a view

The Isfuglen winter bathing club

Adver­to­rial

 

 

Matters & Trold­tekt Acou­stic panels

Situation

The winter bathing club “Isfuglen” (King­fi­sher) at Brøndby harbour has created a great club­house. Club members can enjoy cold goose­bumps, hot saunas and a cosy get-toge­ther here.

With its jetties, yachts and leisure acti­vi­ties, Brøndby harbour is a char­ming meeting place for resi­dents living south-west of Copen­hagen. Almost all of the many small wooden houses are painted red. The Isfuglen winter bathing club has also taken up the tradi­tion of rust-red wood.

Identity

At the very edge of the harbour cons­truc­tion, the wooden struc­ture catches the eye and welcomes ever­yone who enters the harbour by boat.

Its opening to the water is one of the many quali­ties of Isfuglen. From the large terrace that connects the club­house with the main pier, members can enjoy the view of the open Baltic Sea. There are benches here that invite you to linger.

Programme

Inside, Isfuglen offers club members access to a sauna with a pano­r­amic view of the sea and the horizon. Further faci­li­ties are of course chan­ging rooms, showers and toilets.

The main room with a kitchenette is gene­rously dimen­sioned and warm. The walls are made of plywood, the ceiling has Trold­tekt acou­stic panels as clad­ding. Winter bathers like to meet here for morning coffee.

Atmosphere

The large windows and glazed doors allow for close contact with the harbour and the sky above. The room is flooded with daylight and the created atmo­sphere is fanta­stic.

The wood and the Trold­tekt panels under­line the warm atmo­sphere and create great inte­rior acou­stics. The inte­rior appears simple and complex at the same time. This is due to the fact that the ceilings reflect the shape of the small gable roofs with which the wooden house ensemble is covered. A mirror wall reflects the great view of the building’s inte­rior. Inside and outside become one.

We did this.

Project data

Architect

Matters
Ewalds­gade 7, 1. sal
DK — 2200 Køben­havn N

Ceiling

Trold­tekt A/S
Sletvej 2A
DK — 8310 Tranbjerg J

Client

Brøndby Kommune

Physical address

Isfuglen
Brøndby Havn
Brøndby Havn­evej 35, Sydøen
DK — 2650 Hvidovre

Opening

2019

Photograph

Helene Høyer Mikkelsen

Author

Helene Høyer Mikkelsen

Contact

How can we be helpful?

Address
More Sports Media
Am Weit­kamp 17
D‑44795 Bochum

Phone
+49 234 5466 0374
+49 172 4736 332

Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns

A day at the sea

Ernst Ulrich Till­manns on cons­truc­ting swim­ming pools

Introduction

Imagine diving into cool, clear water under a blue sky on a warm summer’s day – as Die Fantas­ti­schen Vier (The Fanta­stic Four) describe in their song “Ein Tag am Meer (A day by the sea)”.

“Du spürst die Lebens­en­ergie (You feel the energy of life)
Die durch dich durch­fließt (That flows through you)
Das Leben wie noch nie in Harmonie und genießt (Life like never before in harmony and you enjoy it)
Es gibt nichts zu verbes­sern (There is nothing that can be improved)
Nichts was noch besser wär’ (Nothing that could be even better)
Außer dir im Jetzt und Hier (Except you in the here and now)
Und dem Tag am Meer (And the day at the sea)”

It is precisely this expe­ri­ence of a refres­hing swim outdoors that Ernst Ulrich Till­manns and his colle­agues from 4a Archi­tekten strive for when desig­ning swim­ming pools. 4a Archi­tects have already desi­gned, built or reno­vated nume­rous swim­ming pools in Germany, Austria and Russia – and have won several prizes in the process.

Each swimming pool is different

“Good swim­ming pools combine effi­cient func­tion­a­lity with an invi­ting atmo­sphere,” says Ernst Ulrich Till­manns, mana­ging director of 4a Archi­tects. “Every swim­ming pool is diffe­rent. No matter whether you are buil­ding a modern well­ness club from expen­sive mate­rials or reno­vating a simple swim­ming pool from the 1960s. It is always possible to come up with a good design in which guests feel comfor­table. First and fore­most, the bathing facility’s func­tion­a­lity and the atmo­sphere have to be observed.

Essen­tial design elements are light and colour, with which diffe­rent areas can be accen­tuated.

Avoid slaughterhouses

In order for the buil­ding to fulfil its intended func­tion perfectly, all areas must be connected and well orga­nised. Guests should find their way around with ease, the available space must be used opti­mally.

“It is very important not to waste space and to ensure that the design is as trans­pa­rent as possible. If you start plan­ning early, you can save a lot of money,” says Ernst Ulrich Till­manns. “The atmo­sphere of the buil­ding is just as important. Some older swim­ming pools, like slaugh­ter­houses, have white tiles and ther­e­fore look rather cold. Instead, it’s better crea­ting a warm and invi­ting feeling of well­ness. Ther­e­fore, choo­sing the right mate­rials is crucial.”

Wood and water

Ernst Ulrich Till­manns has his favou­rite among the available mate­rials: wood.

“There is a lot of water at ground level. Tiles and concrete are preferable there. But a metre above that, wood is a very good mate­rial, both for the walls and ceilings. It is a natural mate­rial that does not corrode, lends a great atmo­sphere and is resistant.”

In the form of ceiling tiles, wood also ensures plea­sant acou­stics, which is a very decisive factor for a swim­ming pool to become a success.

Nature at the pool

Ernst Ulrich Till­manns speaks up for an archi­tec­ture that brings nature into the inte­rior of the buil­ding.

“Since we humans prefer swim­ming outdoors, it is important to create the impres­sion that you are being active outdoors. This can be achieved with large glass surfaces that create a visual connec­tion between the inte­rior and exte­rior. Other options are light colours and wood wool to carry the outside atmo­sphere inside. We did this, for example, when reno­vating the Lochenbad, a smaller swim­ming pool from the 1970s. With bright green acou­stic panels and large glass surfaces, it seems as if bathers are immersed in a natural land­scape”.

The importance of acoustics

Wood wool should not only create a natural atmo­sphere. Ernst Ulrich Till­manns empha­sises the importance of acou­stics in the pool area, espe­ci­ally when large glass surfaces are part of the room that is already domi­nated by hard surfaces.

“It is very important to use acou­stic mate­rials for the ceilings. People should be able to have fun and relax. A pool area with poor acou­stics is bad for the brain. I once visited an older swim­ming pool with a large glass dome over the swim­ming pool area. The noise level was almost unbe­arable.”

Variety

He concludes: “If mate­rials enable variety of design in addi­tion to acou­stic proper­ties, this offers us archi­tects great poten­tial.

One example is the recently opened water and leisure park in Kusel. The coloured ceiling elements in parti­cular lend the buil­ding a special charm. With their colour scheme, which is based on a colourful field of flowers, they lend the indoor pool a cheerful atmo­sphere and, last but not least, its own iden­tity.”

We did this.

Contacts

Architect

4a Archi­tekten GmbH
Hall­strasse 25
D — 70376 Stutt­gart

Ceiling

Trold­tekt A/S
Sletvej 2A
DK — 8310 Tranbjerg J

Photograph

All Photos: Vitalbad Kusel

Olaf Wiechers, Archi­tekt
Büro für Archi­tektur  +  Medi­en­dienst­leis­tungen
Klaus-Groth-Str. 1
D — 21629 Neu Wulmstorf

Author

Johannes Bühl­be­cker
More Sports Media

Contact

How can we be helpful?

Address
More Sports Media
Am Weit­kamp 17
D‑44795 Bochum

Phone
+49 234 5466 0374
+49 172 4736 332

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