I have always enjoyed looking up from under water at the reflection of light going through its surface. The undulations of the water surface generate a crucibleof blues and glitters I’ve always found mesmerizing.I also remember how nice it is to feel the touch of the sun whilst training with the school swimming team. Exercising in a pool can be boring but sunlight crossing the water and hitting the bottom of the pool shapes an unexpected waterscape that stimulates the swimmer’s imagination in his daily routine.
These memories, from the summer and the school swimming team, gave us the clues to approach the Valdesanchuela swimming pool as if it were a series of waves.
The main swimming hall is formed by a series of parallel curved strips that appear weightless. Between them, fish like shaped planes of polycarbonate gleam as they trap the sunlight and give the space a water-like atmosphere. The south façade is transparent so that visitors and swimmers can enjoy the view of the garden and the nearby park. The sun filters in through this facade and hits the water causing reflections in the pool and ceiling alike.
The building also appears like waves seen from the outside and the singularity of its shape corresponds well to its function as a public building for it gives the community an image that people can relate to and make their own.At night the building, illuminated only from the inside, glows like a giant lamp that can be seen at distance from the motorway passing by.
As one enters the building through the main lobby a raw beam of light cuts through a longitudinal crack at the top and lights the entire space all the way down its three levels.The administration area purposely blocks the view to the right so that the visitor, upon entering the building, cannot see the pool from the entrance. Instead, looking up through the curtain wall above, the curves of the pool’s ceilinginevitably catch one’s attention and invite the visitor to walk up the main stairs to discover the pool hall from the top of the tiers.
