Reims (F) swimming center scores second

The brief asked for a recreation center to be built in old Reims, consisting of a swimming hall and an ice-skating hall. The facilities of 14,000 square meters are to be built at the fringe of the historical town, visible from the cathedral and near the Gallo-Roman Porte de Mars (Mars Gate), the city's oldest monument.

It is the act of integrating the building into the city fabric, the conditions of the site, and the diversity of the required spaces that define the shape of the volume, which at the same time acts as a bridge between past and present.

The new recreation center comprises spaces for a family swimming hall including wellness facilities as well as spaces for athletic swimming; pools will be located in and outside. Besides, an ice-skating hall is planned, the rink of which is connected to the new sports and event ground.

 While the swimming hall is situated in the elevated compact part, offering views onto the historic environment far from the everyday bustle, the retail facilities planned on street-level reinvigorate, together with the square, the promenade of the quarter.

With the new recreation center, the City of Reims intends to increase the attractiveness of the location within the region by an additional and comprehensive range of activities for visitors and inhabitants alike. The aim of our design is to emphasize the building's role as new center of attraction and meeting place for a varied public.