Ernst Niklaus Fausch Architekten: City indoor swimming pool - best architects 16

Ernst Niklaus Fausch Architekten

City indoor swimming pool

best architects 16

public buildings

Place

Zurich / Switzerland

Studio

www.enf.ch

Photos

Hannes Henz

Description

Hallenbad City was built between 1939–1941 by the city building authorities, under the direction of architect Hermann Herter, as the first 50-metre indoor swimming pool in Switzerland. It is an excellent example of Modernist architecture, and for this reason it is listed as a protected structure with municipal significance. The renovation and plant optimisation included replacing all building services, fit-out and surfaces as well as the structural reinforcement of the load-bearing structure and the building envelope. Necessary adjustments adhering to the current building code were carried out, such as fire protection, barrier-free construction and the improvement of energy efficiency. Throughout this process of renewal, various other services were simultaneously improved. The key elements of the project were the restoration of the swimming pool with the skylight overhead and the clearing-out of the entrance hall. In this way, the original concept of the building was re-established. The building envelope has been carefully renovated, so that the building’s original appearance was largely preserved.