International Competition for Marinha Grande Public Swimming Pool

• Local Câmara Municipal da Marinha Grande
• Date 2011
• Location Marinha Grande

Design proposal for the Swimming Pool building of Marinha, inserted into the city’s Sport Zoning urban plan. In its genesis is the clear programmatic division between public and private areas, and areas for users. At the Entry Hall, users can choose between four paths corresponding to different functions: reception area with back office, administration and staff private spaces; Gym and Squash courts with respective locker rooms, showers and washrooms; areas reserved for swimming pool users with respective locker rooms, showers and washrooms plus some additional areas such as the first aid room, doctor’s office, and a space for instructors; and finally a space for the public with access to the stands and corresponding washrooms. The structural elements of the proposal impose themselves on the image of the project appearing on the exterior of the built mass.

On the Northeast and Southeast extremities 11 concrete pillars emerge as inclined sheets of 1×0.5m. The mixture of concrete pillars and iron trusses result in a connecting system that wraps the construction and give it a particular and cohesive image. The Northwest and Southeast façades feature a wall cladded with slabs of melted glass bottles with different colours. These panels were meant to be executed in a workshop by students of Marinha Grande schools. Marinha Grande has a very strong tradition and industry of glass-works. This idea intends to bring the younger generations to come in contact with this tradition and processes of melting glass.