Refurbished Paris swimming pool features blue bleachers and an outdoor sunbathing deck

Photograph by Clement GuillaumeThe aim of the refurbishment and expansion overseen by   Strasbourg studio   Dominique Coulon et Associés   was to increase the facilities available to the community of Bagneux, while ensuring the addition ties in with the original 1950s architecture. Photograph by David Romero-UzedaThe concrete-lined volume above the entrance creates a decked area for sunbathing, lined on one side by a row of vertical fins supporting a surface aligned with the roof of the main building. Photograph by Clement GuillaumeA porthole-shaped opening in the floor of the paddling area lets blue-tinged light filter down into the corridor, connecting the spa facilities on the ground floor. Photograph by David Romero-Uzeda»Preserving the original building helped reduce the cost of the project by 40 per cent,» architect Dominique Coulon   told Dezeen, adding that the intelligent combination of new and existing facilities also provided energy savings. A new insulated envelope surrounding this frame was added along with a glazed curtain wall and an extension to the front of the building. The curved volumes follow the movement of the swimmers, proposing improved inclusive ergonomics.»
Photograph by David Romero-UzedaThe children’s paddling pool is contained in a curving space designed to create a cocoon-like feel while helping to reduce ambient noise created by reverberations. «Following Rem Koolhaas’s concept of lobotomy, the volumes inside are independent of the exterior envelope. Photograph by David Romero-UzedaPhotography is by Clément Guillaume and David Romero-Uzeda. Photograph by Clement GuillaumeCurvaceous shapes are also used in various other spaces within the extension, including the double-height relaxation area, where a rounded window opening creates a spot for relaxed lounging that looks out onto a small garden. Project credits:
Client: Communauté d’agglomération Sud de Seine
Architect: Dominique Coulon et associés, Architects
Design team: Dominique Coulon, Benjamin Rocchi, Arnaud Eloudyi, Sarah Brebbia, Gautier Duthoit
Construction site supervision: Agence Olivier Werner
Structural Engineer: Batiserf Ingénierie
Mechanical Electrical Plumbing Engineer: Alto Ingénierie
Cost Estimator: E3 Economie
Acoustics: Euro Sound Project
Diagram –   click for larger imageSite plan – click for larger imageGround floor plan –   click for larger imageFirst floor plan – click for larger imageBleacher level floor plan – click for larger imageSection one – click for larger imageSection two – click for larger imageSection three – click for larger image Related story: Médiathèque d’Anzin by Dominique Coulon Associés»For example, the dressing rooms slide under the swimming pool, allowing the underside of the pool on the first floor to heat them.»
Photograph by Clement GuillaumeThe building’s structural framework was retained, along with two swimming pools and the adjacent bleachers. Photograph by David Romero-UzedaA large cantilever shelters the entrance and creates a connection between the foyer and the public space provided by the forecourt outside. A new wall of glazing allows daylight to   reflect off the original blue-painted bleachers and onto the ceiling of this swimming pool in the Paris suburb of Bagneux, which has been renovated and extended by Dominique Coulon et Associés (+ slideshow).