Aquatics Centre
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Aquatics Centre

Baldi Margheriti Associati

Aquatics Centre
By Francesco Pagliari -

This complex lies along one of the main city roads, near the stadium. The centre itself has both a pool and wellness facilities, making it far more than a simple aquatics centre. It effectively offers a "one-stop-shop" for body care, one of the overarching goals clearly reflected in the architecture.
The layout of space is designed to connect the various possible activities and such links are reflected in the architectural choices. The building rises two stories, with different volumes intersecting and the perspective changing by using large glazed walls that visually connect not only the interior and the exterior, but also areas within the structure. The volumes are complex, with oblique walls used to create prism shapes and the irregular glazed walls providing unusual views and glimpses. The internal-external dynamics are boosted by using special glazed doors that can be opened in summer. Outside, an Olympic-sized swimming pool has been revamped and it is now linked directly to the 25m indoor pool. There is also another smaller, 16.5m pool inside that forms the third part in the hub of the complex, on the north-eastern side. Here, the load-bearing structure was built using glulam.
This really is a multi-purpose complex, with activities grouped according to area. The central section on the ground floor has a double-height entrance, with a reception area, some shops, a relaxation zone and a café. The western side of the central section has the locker rooms for the pool and the wellness area. The upper floor in the same central section houses some fitness rooms.
The entrance hall is the key pole in the complex, helping direct the flow of people into the correct section and acting as a transition space between the different parts. A glazed wall marked with polygonal shapes clearly highlights the entrance, allowing light into the hall and providing views of the various areas. The use of natural light also emphasises the colours (notably the red plastering of the upper floor wall) and the texture of the load-bearing structures. The main hall has a number of interesting features, including an internal balcony on the upper floor facing onto the hall, and a massive metal staircase that strikes an interesting harmony between the ramp-like volume and the perforated metal panels of the parapet.
The southern section of the complex contains an elliptical volume, with a façade that stands out from the glazed wall of that section, with overhanging horizontal sunscreens and a cladding of pre-coated aluminium sheets. The transition space that connects the central and elliptical volumes is designed to be a play area for children and a space to relax. The restaurant, with the related utilities, is located on the two floors of the elliptical area. An elegant round metal staircase connects the different levels of the restaurant.
The complexity of the architecture is reiterated by prism-shaped volumes and the external wall surfaces. The full height glazed walls are combined with windows that open in the walls, contrasting with the walls clad with corrugated aluminium panels.

Francesco Pagliari

Location: Terni, Italy
Client: Piscine dello Stadio
Completion: 2014
Gross Floor Area: 4.400 m2
Cost of Construction: 10.000.000 Euros
Architects: Baldi Margheriti Associati
Art Direction: Baldi Margheriti Associati - Luciano Baldi, Paola Margheriti
Contractor: Piscine Scarl - Gruppo Salini Costruzioni Impregilo

Consultants
Plant: SINT Ingegneria

Suppliers
Aluminium Window Frames and Glazing: Metra
Aluminium Cladding: Alubel
Ceramic Pool Tiles: Florim, Floorgres
Prefabricated Structures: Edilgori
Glulam Structures and Infill Panels: Albertani Corporate
Gypsum Board: Knauf
Park Furniture and Playground Equipment: Legnolandia
Gym Equipment: Technogym
Lighting: Linea Light Group e I-Led

Photography: © Mauro Cippitelli

Baldi Margheriti Associati 
Architectural practice Baldi Margheriti Associati opened its doors in Terni in 1986. The firm handles every aspect of design and works management, boasting extensive experience in major projects in the urban/environmental field (PRUSST – first prize in the competitions for the Fiume Nera urban park), urban regeneration projects (the redevelopment of the covered market in central Terni), and the restoration of existing buildings.
It places a special focus on design and synergies with the world of art. Highlights include collaborations with the painter Piero Dorazio, as well as with the sculptors Eliseo Mattiacci, Bruno Ceccobelli, and Carlo Lorenzetti in competitions for the renewal of Piazza Cavour in Milan, the area around the EU district in Brussels, and the redevelopment of Piazza Augusto Imperatore in Rome.
Baldi Margherit also participates in numerous national and international competitions, including for the renewal of Piazza Cavour in Milan, the Tokyo Forum, the redevelopment of Times Square in New York, Cairo's new museum of Egyptology, the Syracuse waterfront, and the renewal of Piazza Gregoriopoli in Ostia Antica. Some of the competitions it has won include a cemetery in Collescipoli, the first phase of the redevelopment of the EU district in Brussels, and, more recently, the new multipurpose swimming centre in Terni, opened in 2014. Other recent projects include multiplex cinemas in Terni, Agrigento, and Catanzaro, and a sensory park in Terni.
The studio is currently involved in a number of projects outside of Italy.

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