ACADEMIC SWIMMING POOL

Silesian University of Technology, (Politechnika Śląska), Faculty of Architecture, Gliwice

Project idea

The project includes functional and spatial concept of the swimming pool, located on the campus of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice.

The area of the study is a plot of land, commonly known as Igry Meadow, which is now a popular meeting and recreation place and the centre of cultural events. Any development could irreversibly change the character of this place, therefore the main goal of the project was to create an object that would fit well into the existing context, and would sustain the current nature of the meadow and will enrich it with new functions.

Project description

The building has been incorporated into the surroundings so that it refers to the neightboring buildings and greenery. Thanks to the height gradation, it can be sub-dominant of the building of the faculty of automatic control, electronics and computer science and together with it constitute an urban gate to the campus. On the other hand, it allowed for visual blend into the greenery.

The form was shaped in four stages. At the beginning, two blocks were distinguished, which contain the most important swimming pool and saunas functions. Then a solid was added, which complements the first floor with additional functions. In the next stage, its shape was modified and ramps and slopes was added in order to create a multi-level roof.
Finally, a cuboid was added to complete the hall space and to separate the patio on the roof.


In the design phase, it was decided to include additional land between the buildings of faculty of architecture, sports hall and swimming pool, which gave the opportunity to create a pedeterian promenade. Road communication was located underground.

The functional program was designed with a wide range of users in mind. In addition to the main pool function, you can also use the saunas, gym, eat in the restaurant, work in the coworking space, relax on specially designed ramps or on the meadow on the roof.

The building has three swimming pools: sports, for childrens and leisure. All of them have traditional type overflows that reduce the waving. In addition, in the main hall there is a metal mesh, which has an aesthetic and practical display function, influencing at the same time for the correct acoustics of the hall interior.

Technical information

A monolithic reinforced concrete structure was used, enriched with steel trusses, which make it possible to obtain the required spands and the necessary load capacity. The facades are designed as multi-layered surfaces, consisting of a load-bearing wall, a glass curtain facade and a metal partition.

During designing the external greenery, it was assumed that open honey meadows were to be formed and the surfaces were selected with water microretention in mind. The elements of the roof and terrace infrastructure have a positive effect on the comfort of use.