In water sports, performance is given priority to the detriment of conviviality. Results override the joy of “doing”. The aim of our aquatic centre is to create a link between competition and leisure so that both these worlds can coexist. In order to preserve this building, a listed historical monument, we are creating a second internal envelope. This segments our spaces without being fully hermetic, instead representing the boundary between the different elements of our programme. To highlight activity around the pools, we are using a translucent material – glass bricks. This represents a way to tackle visual relationships, light and the issue of cohabitation given the different and diverse populations.
