green wave, construction of a swimming-pool in the thermal centre of royat


in the heart of the water city of royat, france and its green mall in the confluence
of the tiretaine and liaboux rivers, is vincent callebaut's extension project -
a dynamic response to the ambition of royat city to build a mobilization swimming
pool represented by a very attractive and contemporary architecture researched
by the patients of spas.

by increasing also the choice of cardio-arterial and rheumatologic cares, their
architecture proposes the construction of a 'planted wave' that covers the pool hall
under its curve. the ecological wave projects thus its curve towards the avenue de royat
such as a new green setting, true urban signal dedicated to the welfare and laid out in
the urban northern façade of the spa site. by meeting the needs of the programme as
precisely as possible, our project emphasizes three major themes as detailed below:
the urban signal, the welfare of the patients and the high environment quality.

from the avenue de royat callebaut's project expresses thus itself clearly as a strong
architectural signal leading the slightly austere line of the mineral façade laid out in bar
codes of extensions dating of the sixties to the eighties. their 'green wave' takes into
account all the constraints of the site and presents a compact made-to-measure volumetry
on stilts of the scratched surrounding frame. actually, the arched architecture of the pool
hall sets up against the bank of the main building, lining up along the firemen lane to
the laundry and the workshops located below.

the urban integration of this extension welcoming the mobilization swimming pool is made
with simplicity and lightness. under this green wave, the fountain pool and the mobilization
pool have both a circular shape for pools in this cramped setting-up context and on
the other hand this shape enables the patients to take advantage of their cares with visibility
equivalent for everybody towards the physiotherapists places at equidistance from everyone
in the centre of the pools.

at the east of the parcel near the source, the volume of the hall stops at the implantation limit.
but, in order to unify the architectures of the site together, the roof stretches itself and becomes
convertible creating thus a whole height space and therefore easily reachable from the water
source 'auraline' drilling head. the existing façade becomes an interior wooden wall pierced
with portholes and horizontal bays behind which the incoming and outgoing changing rooms
are laid out. the access to these changing rooms is made by two footbridges whereas a free
space is laid out between the technical floor of the extension and the building to let the natural
light penetrate on the 0-level of the current building by a glazed floor.

a protecting cocoon dedicated to the welfare of the patients

the atmosphere is warm, intimate and more relaxing. the thermal water of the stainless steel
pools makes its gleams shimmer on the interior vault. at the east of the hall, the fountain pool
with soft lighting of the zenithal cupola offers a view on the sky of auvergne to the swimmers.
through the glazed and progressively printed eardrum to ensure intimacy, the view focuses on
the arcade of royat viaduct. its linearity is punctuated by the majestic cedar of lebanon along
the avenue des thermes. the mobilization pool located in the west of the hall profits by the piercing
in screen wall of engraved wooden façade on the avenue, whereas the glazed eardrum offers
a view on a teeming planted wall.

both pools are thus placed in a case of aquatic plants set in jardinières taking the exact shape of
the curves with their contours and defining comfortable beaches. the incoming and outgoing
changing rooms as well as the functional premises are linked to the other thermal activities by
a moving and welcoming circulation well lightened by two planted patios. the patients are therefore
protected and calmed in a glass and steel, wooden and green cocoon. under this interior hall,
we feel like in the hull of a ship moored on a pier offering to the visitors’ imagination a naval
architecture that invites them with sea colours wooded during the time of a spa care.

an architecture of high environmental quality

our 'green wave' project sets a case of nature on the avenue de royat. but on top of the 'green design',
this planted roof ensures also through its inertia a great acoustic and especially thermal comfort inside
the hall. this bioclimatic cushion will actually enable to reduce the energetic expenditure by accumulating
the heat in winter and by ventilating naturally the hall in summer. at the bottom of the puy de gravenoire,
it is thus a project of urban respiration, a micro landscape in the entity peculiar to the spa. it is a space
of ecological regeneration not only offered to the patient of the spa but also to the common passer-by
of the avenue de royat representing the dynamics and the ambition of the spa city to be part in
the contemporary history of the inhabitants of royat.