Aqua centre for the city of Opava

The architecture of Opava aqua centre reinforces the natural character of the whole area and its urban concept. The volumes of lower rising service spaces – the entrance foyer, changing rooms, staff only areas and wellness, are seamlessly integrated in levees sheltered under green roofs. The continuity of an existing levee along the summer pools is followed upon by the higher volumes of indoor pool halls rising from the newly formed landscape. They carry slanted roofs and their interiors benefit from the dynamic impression set by the skylights. One of the driving themes of African motifs is referencing a known Opava born figure Joy Adamson. Roughness, earthiness and nature are weaved through the building’s interior fabric. The building proposal is part of a landscaping intervention of the whole site and major parts of its volumes are hidden away under the terrain formations. This ensures the proposal does not compete with the 1930s functionalist public baths house building and enables the two to coexist with respect to one another.