Schwaketenbad

This vibrant aquatic landscape features two 25-meter swimming pools, a non-swimmer’s pool with a slide, a toddler pool, a warm-water pool, a learning pool with a movable floor, diving facilities, two giant slides, and a water playground. Varying ceiling heights accommodate the specific needs of each area while creating a dynamic spatial composition that balances a sense of security with expansive open spaces encouraging visitor interaction. The harmonious arrangement of three distinct roofs gives the building an inviting, sculptural character.

Inside, these roof surfaces delineate the various pool areas in a playful manner, while preserving the open character of the structure. The layout of the pools has been carefully arranged to chime with the site’s unique location and allows for easy orientation. In the center, swimmers can enjoy lap lanes. The adjacent non-swimmer and toddler pools, along with the water playground, face the southern facade. This area also features the food court with an adjoining terrace and a grassy space for sunbathing. Lightweight glass dividing walls define the quiet zone, screen the slides’ landing area, and offer a high level of privacy for the learning pool and the second 25-meter swimming pool.

The indoor leisure pool is notable not only for its sculptural roof design but also for the generous glass facades. They provide an unimpeded view of the surrounding greenery and impressive stock of trees. The use of natural materials—for instance, in the connecting wooden roof with its delicate, untreated squared spruce timbers, or the near-natural beige of the floor of the baths—creates a connection to the adjacent Schwaketen and Mainau forests. Color accents are provided, for example, by the red heated benches, which articulate the space and the shiny blue mosaic tiles. The varying roof heights create bands of light that generate a distinctive atmospheric effect as the sun angles in.