The Carmen Longo multifunctional sports complex: much more than a swimming pool
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The Carmen Longo multifunctional sports complex: much more than a swimming pool

Sesto San Giovanni has a new community facility open all year round

FABRIC Integrated Architecture

The Carmen Longo multifunctional sports complex: much more than a swimming pool
By Editorial Staff -
Ragno has participated in the project

One of the main sports facilities in Sesto San Giovanni is part of a greenbelt that extends from Parco Nord Milano to beyond Viale Fulvio Testi – that is, the road between Milan and Monza. Here, the former Carmen Longo seasonal pool has undergone extensive redevelopment and is now the Carmen Longo multifunctional sports complex.

Architects from Milan firm FABRIC Integrated Architecture have transformed the old outdoor pool, which had been in disuse for some time, into an urban sports village occupying almost three acres (11,000 m2) with swimming pools, green spaces, a gym, a bar, and a restaurant that are open to everyone, from locals to tourists.

The new complex has two main frontages. The first, on the more built-up eastern side of the block, is on Via Nino Bixio and leads to the restaurant and facilities area via an irregular, open façade. The second, to the west, is off sports fields and the nearby Parco Nord Milano.

 

Curving shapes and flexible spaces

Complesso sportivo polifunzionale Carmen Longo, FABRIC Integrated Architecture ©Beppe Raso, courtesy of FABRIC Integrated Architecture

Occupying the eastern side of the site, the building was conceived as a raised, curving section of land that slopes to the west, embracing the large swimming pool with its curving edges. At ground level, the building houses a restaurant as well as flexible spaces designed to form a functional continuity with the nearby Cittadella dello Sport complex.

The roof is a raised plaza with a sunbathing area and small pavilions used as coffee bars. At basement level are changing rooms, with toilets and showers, while those for outside users are at ground level near the children’s area. All the areas attached to the swimming pool have been designed for disabled access.

The use of curving lines unite the built sections and open spaces, the real focus of the project. The main swimming pool, around 10,700 sq.ft. (1000 m2), is semi-circular with stepped entry. It’s divided into a relaxation area with hydromassage jets, an area for swimming, and another for lessons.

The main and children’s pools are the fulcrum of the design of the outdoor space, with both surrounded by lawns for sunbathing. As well as the pools, there are six waterslides and a spray park with water games for children aged six to twelve. The waterslides are reached from the roof of the building and via an external staircase that follows the gentle lines of the structure with its green roof edge.

FABRIC’s project has transformed what was once a seasonal pool into a multifunctional complex that’s open all year round and a new community facility for people of all ages and interests.

 

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Credits

Location: Milano, Italy
Architects: FABRIC Integrated Architecture
Completion: 2022
Investor and developer: THE VILLAGE S.r.l.
Main Contractor: AEDES Construction
Surface: 11.500m2

Consultants: BIESSE Engineering, ARIATTA Systems Engineering, Ferrario Impianti

Suppliers: Ragno

Photography by Beppe Raso, courtesy of FABRIC Integrated Architecture

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