Pack your bathing suit …
… take your little sister, and then let’s go to Fohrbach” is how we rephrase the old Wannsee classic, and for good reason. The Fohrbach public swimming pool in Zollikon is a very popular place for swimmers from the municipality as well as from neighbouring Zurich. With a diverse mix of swimming, children’s and wellness pools, water slides and pirate ship, the combined indoor and outdoor pool offers year-round sports and recreation opportunities for young and old.
After 46 years of operation, a large part of the facility has reached the end of its service life, and the commune of Zollikon is therefore planning a complete renovation of the public swimming pool. In addition to the renovation of the baths, which will include a structural upgrade and, in particular, an energy renovation, a possible expansion of the catering area is also planned. A planning selection process now marked the start of the renovation project. The team GFA Gruppe für Architektur and BGS & Partner Architekten was awarded the contract. The development of the successful project proposal “Schwimmbar” was supported by Lüchinger+Meyer in the areas of structural and façade planning.
The design foresees a new catering area on top of the existing cloakroom wing in the south of the site. This is planned as a wooden structure that is oriented to the grid of the existing concrete frame structure. New wooden trusses will be arranged at a distance of 5 m, spanning approx. 7.5 m over two fields, analogous to the existing structure. On top of this construction, a wooden ribbed ceiling is added as a secondary load-bearing structure. By choosing this lightweight construction in the existing support grid, the required interventions in the existing support structure and foundation are minimised.
The new building envelope of the entire facility is also designed to match the existing façade and supporting structure grid. Large-format fixed glazing in the form of a post-and-beam system with minimised depth continues to rest directly on the structural supports. The opening elements are proposed as folding glass walls. The interaction of the high-quality, thermally separated profile system and the triple insulating glazing optimally ensures winter thermal insulation as well as the special comfort requirements of an indoor swimming pool. External textile shading elements in the form of pop-up or drop-arm awnings ensure thermal protection in summer.
(Visualisation: Onur Ozman)
