The Češča Vas swimming pool
Here’s to good neighborliness
ENOTA
The Češča Vas swimming pool in Novo Mesto meets the requirements of top-class sport – and blends in beautifully with its surroundings.
Neighborhood
The Češča Vas swimming pool in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, was opened in 2023. It is located right next to the dominant velodrome “Olimpijski Center Novo mesto” and fits in very imaginatively with its surroundings.
The pool currently has two pools, but there are binding plans to add a 50-metre pool in the outdoor area.
Planning and construction are by Enota, the pools by Myrtha Pools.
Top sport
Enota have so skillfully integrated the remarkable building in the immediate vicinity of the massive cycling stadium into the considerable hillside location that Češča Vas now rises very elegantly out of the landscape.
Despite its modesty, the pool meets the strict standards for international swimming competitions and the training of top athletes and serves as a model for the growth and development of swimming in the region.
Topography
The bathroom makes use of the topographical features of the sloping terrain and was positioned as low and unobtrusively as possible. The partially buried levels allow the different areas to be separated horizontally. The entrance hall is thus separated from the circulation areas and the low-lying pool area is integrated into the slope. The slopes become grandstands.
In this way, the design reduces the façade area of the building, which increases its energy efficiency and reduces investment costs.
Organization
The restrained appearance of the building is achieved by the low, floating roof, under which the surrounding landscape (almost) becomes part of the indoor swimming pool. At the same time, the entire program is housed in the volume of the roof, which requires no direct contact with the water surfaces.
This floor plan organization ensures a higher ceiling height above the pool and a lower ceiling height in the reception and changing room areas.
Materiality
The structural design of the roof with a latticework of beams allows for large spans and requires only a few supports. The incidence of light along the entire circumference creates the impression that the roof volume floats above the surface of the water, while the interior opens up wide views of the surrounding nature.
The materiality of Češča Vas is simple and restrained. The roof is clad with natural, unpainted wooden boards that will age over time, further blending the building with the materiality of the surrounding forest.
The underside of the floating pool roof volume inside the building is uniformly colored in an intense, warm shade.
Recognition
Češča Vas immediately received great recognition in the world of architecture and has already won numerous awards, including the OPAL Award and The Architecture MasterPrize, the Archello Awards as Sports & Leisure Building of the Year 2023, The Plan Award (Sports & Leisure), the Golden Pencil Ljubljana and the Architizer A+ Awards.
Project data
Architect
ENOTA
Dean Lah, Milan Tomac, Jurij Ličen, Nuša Završnik Šilec, Polona Ruparčič, Sara Ambruš, Eva Tomac, Eva Javornik, Urška Malič, Rasmus Skov, Sara Mežik, Jakob Kajzer, Peter Sovinc, Carlos Cuenca Solana, Goran Djokić
Building owner
Novo mesto Municipality
Swimming pool
Myrtha Pools
A&T Europe Spa
Via Solferino, 27
P.O. Box 7
46043 Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN)
Italy
Address
Češča Vas Pool Complex
Zaloška cesta 20
8000 Novo mesto
Slovenia
Photos
Miran Kambič
Text
Johannes Bühlbecker
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Opening
2023
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