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PROJECT
Aquatic facility -
LOCATION
Mantes-la-Ville -
CLIENT
Communauté d'Agglomération de Mantes-la-Ville -
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Marc Mimram Architecture et Ingénierie, CD2I, ABC Decibel -
DATES
2010 – 2015 -
AREA
3,500 m² sports pool, 525 m² leisure pool, 250 m² -
COST
9,5 M € -
ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONS
RT 2012 - Download the project
The new swimming pool at Mantes-la-Ville forms part of the urban development and landscaping scheme around the station. The urban character of the swimming pool is an important condition of its architectural development. The aim was to provide a water sports facility preserving the need for an element of privacy, without impinging on the pleasure derived from the play of light on the water.
The pool opens out onto the surrounding gardens, its entrance being completely transparent. The roof of the pool is conceived as something providing comfort. It forms a delicate canopy allowing swimmers to appreciate the seasons’ changing light and casting reflections of rippling water and light on the façades of the neighboring buildings. The wide glass walls running between the main beams allow the light to filter through, giving form to the space and setting up vibrations throughout the pool area reflecting the rhythm of the light. The varying shape of this curved roof means that the pool areas have a quiet acoustic without unpleasant echoes.
Opening towards the south, the complex is flooded with light. The design of the roof further contributes to the effects of light, being constructed so as to capture the warm and reddish evening light from the west as it falls on the curving roof without dazzling the swimmers. It is a place that enhances the pleasure of water beneath a broad expanse of sky, bringing together the pleasures of the site, the landscape, and of the emerging town.