Projects

The Monochrome Adventure in Cobalt Blue

Swimming Pool and Wellness Center, Grand Paris Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

Swimming Pool and Wellness Center, Grand Paris

Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

The Monochrome Adventure in Cobalt Blue

Sports - Wellness
2018
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Rising above the heights of the Hauts-de-Seine, the Fort d’Issy-les-Moulineaux is one of the sixteen bastions of the Thiers wall that once protected Paris in the 19th century. Today, it has been transformed into an eco-friendly residential district, a preserved area set apart from the urban bustle, yet seamlessly connected to the dynamic growth of Greater Paris.

A double organic envelope in satin cobalt concrete

In this green oasis, where nature interacts with architecture, a space for meeting and well-being flourishes, with a triple social, athletic, and recreational purpose: the Aquazena sports center and swimming pool, designed to unite residents through the pleasures of sport, relaxation, and connection.

The materiality of the project is founded on a powerful, sensory connection: the deep, vibrant cobalt blue concrete anchors the space in a timeless essence. The red wood, used for window frames, sunbed seating, and the undulating beams of the façades, introduces an organic warmth and visual resonance that contrasts with the mineral textures. The rounded, bubble-like forms of the changing rooms, showers, and spa areas appear to float weightlessly within the space, enhancing the fluidity of the experience.

An Expanding Architectural Experience
The Aquazena experience is a sensory journey, a fluid progression through multiple levels: The basement, where the squash courts are carved into the stone, creating intimate and dynamic spaces. The ground floor, which houses the pool hall, the vibrant heart of the project, along with the changing rooms, spa, and wellness area. The first level, offering a belvedere view over the water, where the sports center and cafeteria provide a panoramic outlook over the pools. The second level, where the terrace-solarium extends the facility toward the sky, offering a weightless space for relaxation.

Diving into the pool hall is like entering a holistic and contemplative space, where architecture and materials seamlessly blend into an immersive experience. The cobalt blue concrete walls envelop the space with a bluish depth, while light, filtered through glass mats in the roof, gently glides over the stainless-steel water surfaces, creating a dynamic play of reflections in constant motion. The openings in the façades and roof, along with the interior vistas, break up the volume, offering ever-changing perspectives and restful alcoves where the gaze can drift, and the body finds refuge after the swim.

Spatial Fluidity and Material Contrasts

Living on the Roof
Situated on a narrow plot, bordered by residential buildings, the project rises and opens up to capture light, the sky, and surrounding views. It’s more than just a pool—it redefines public space by providing a vertical extension. The vibrant space is the rooftop solarium, a landscaped terrace facing the Eiffel Tower. Directly accessible from the pools via a ramped promenade, it transforms into a popular gathering spot on sunny days, where water, sky, and the city come together in a shared rhythm.

Amplifying the uses, the inhabited rooftops

The sensory contrast defines the soul of the place: between openness and intimacy, light and shadow, resonance and silence, coolness and warmth, each transition from one space to another becomes an experience in itself. Aquazena is a sanctuary at the heart of the city, where water, air, and light engage in a continuous dialogue with the architecture and the bodies in motion.

See also

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