The largest new swimming pool complex in Zala County was officially opened on the first day of June: the development and expansion of the city swimming pool in Zalaegerszeg was completed within the Modern Cities Program. The indoor swimming pool includes a ten-lane, 50-meter pool and training pools, a renewed outdoor pool and a new water playground. The county’s largest swimming pool development is around 8,700 square meters; the three-story building features 1,852 square meters of swimming area and 268 seats, and was designed and built with green and sustainable solutions in mind. TSPC general design team was led by Mihály Kádár, Attila Huszár and Éva Vezér-Vereb, the chief designers of the project.
The development will also enrich the Zalaegerszeg urban beach area with a new design and clean, elegant forms; the way the building mass is formed and the facade is created the pool is meant to be a transition between the multi-story apartment blocks on the opposite side of Göcseji Road and the neighboring suburban-style buildings. The architectural and structural design of the new pool building is much more simple, modern, representative, in line with the design program and current preferences.
In addition to the FINA standard competition pool, the new building will feature a representative reception hall, a single-sided grandstand, a 10×16 meter training pool, a cozy “parents’ lounge”, a 10-person built-in Jacuzzi, a wellness center with plunge pool and relaxation areas, a fitness room, athletes’ and visitors’ changing rooms, offices, shops, a café and community spaces.
Next to the main entrance there is the ticket office and a lobby with a direct connection to the cloakroom, from here a vertical walkway leads to the spacious and representative lobby in the pool area. In the south pool area, you will find the 50-meter competition pool and the connected service functions. The pool area is connected to the wellness zone, as well as to the changing rooms, lifeguard, first aid and referee areas, which are located in the western wing of the building.
The new pool building forms an L-shaped block along the planned outdoor pool, which is used for outdoor sports in spring and summer. The green area of the beach has also been redesigned, with an outdoor wet playground, modern landscaping, smart benches and sports fields. Visitors will be able to enjoy a range of new services, such as a café that can be used from the pool area, a wellness area, a competition pool, a Jacuzzi overlooking both the pools and the green garden, and a training pool with a special mosaic to cheer up swimming lessons.
TSPC’s designers were keen to ensure that the new city pool includes the artistic details that the people of Zalaegerszeg are fond of: the modern building is a perfect place for works of art that are important to the city’s public, such as the Neptun Fountain, the Kneeling Girl statue and the Vizafogó statue. The relief by the Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor János Németh has also received careful attention: it was removed by experts, later restored and is now arranged to embellish the wall of the reception area of the new building.
The new swimming pool complex will have 72 parking spaces, electric car charging stations and 53 bicycle storage facilities.
Green and sustainable solutions at the Zalaegerszeg Swimming Pool
Solar panels, small power plant, drilled well for an energy-efficient swimming pool
The building’s heating needs are reduced by the increased glass surface on the building facade, which also makes it more economical and helps to maintain the right temperature inside the building. Especially in the FINA standard 50m pool and the training pool areas, where it helps to achieve an air temperature of about 30-32 degrees C.
Summer cooling is provided by external movable blinds, which greatly reduce the cooling energy demand of the building.
The building is equipped with 120 solar panels with a total capacity of 50 kW: which is 5% of the simultaneous performance of the building.
The pool water is tempered with hot well water extracted from a depth of 765m, which is a huge achievement, as the vast majority of energy needs of the pool technology are related to heating the pool water.
Natural light: reducing operating costs and energy.
In the competition pool area, 4 giant north-facing overhead lights have been installed to provide homogeneous lighting for the swimmers. This was specifically calculated in the design simulation, which showed that artificial lighting would rarely be needed in this huge space – further reducing operating costs.
Ensuring optimal daylighting was an important design consideration, resulting in comfortable spaces with low lighting demand during the day. Bright interior coverings also contribute to a sense of well-being.
Moss wall, green roof, native flora
In a wellness area of the swimming pool, the designers have placed a 18m2 moss wall which creates a green environment for relaxation. The moss wall is maintenance-free thus facilitating the operation of the building.
The building has a huge extensive green roof of around 1500 square meters which greatly lowers the intensity of drainage from heavy summer showers, it also reduces the load on the rainwater drainage network and naturally helps to insulate the building.
The choice of flora was based on the planting of native and drought-tolerant plants.
Natural light and silent water splashing
In order to avoid unnecessary light pollution, the swimming pool will be equipped with a low level of area lighting instead of decorative lighting, so as to focus on the beautifully designed interior spaces, recreation, and training activities.
Swimming pools are often very noisy because of the splashing water. To avoid this, TSPC’s specialists have solved the water inlet at each site by not letting the water splash from above, but by letting it flow down a sloping wall into the channel drains next to the pools. Above the large swimming pool and the training pool, a suspended ceiling of wood wool acoustic panels provides sound absorption.
Timed flow taps are used in the pool.
A weather station will be installed on the building, so the external shades can be adjusted according to the weather conditions.
Comfort, easier communication
Community space will be available for young athletes on the grandstand level to ensure that the time between school and training is spent in a useful way and in a comfortable environment. Learning is supported by three smart benches and two smart totems – all available for every visitor.
The swimming pool was designed to allow parents to watch their children during swimming lessons without being noticed; a separate parents’ lounge was placed at the training pool to increase the comfort of parents and children and ease communication.
The building of the city swimming pool in Zalaegerszeg is accessible.