Gold Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2020
Termalija Family Wellness Swimming Pools
by Enota
- A' Design Award 2020 Gold Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Terme Olimia
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 43,199
- Verification code 4E039E3D4F · Verify this award
About Termalija Family Wellness Swimming Pools
Termalija Family Wellness is the latest in the series of projects which Enota has built at Terme Olimia in the last fifteen years and concludes the complete transformation of the spa complex. Viewed from a distance, the shape, color and scale of new clustered structure of tetrahedral volumes is a continuation of the cluster of the surrounding rural buildings, visually extending into the heart of the complex. The new roof acts as a big summer shade and doesn't usurp any of the precious exterior space.
Termalija Family Wellness Swimming Pools by Enota represents an exceptional achievement within contemporary biophilic architectural practice, wherein the design team has crafted an immersive spatial experience that synthesizes advanced parametric geometry with primal material warmth and the restorative presence of water and vegetation. The faceted timber ceiling system, executed in oriented strand board panels arranged according to complex geometric algorithms, evokes natural crystalline formations and geological cave structures while maintaining precise architectural control and construction feasibility. This approach positions the work within broader conversations regarding biomimetic design principles and the capacity of digital fabrication technologies to realize organically inspired forms at architectural scale. The chromatic strategy demonstrates sophisticated environmental psychology, deploying the warmth of natural wood tones to create an embracing atmosphere that counterbalances the coolness of the aquatic program below, while the integration of living plant material along vertical garden surfaces and as freestanding botanical specimens reinforces the biophilic agenda central to wellness architecture discourse. Technically, the structural resolution of the faceted canopy system merits particular attention, as the design successfully negotiates the transition from horizontal ceiling plane to vertical support column through continuous geometric transformation, creating visual unity across what might otherwise register as disparate architectural elements. The triangular apertures penetrating the timber surface serve dual functions as both lighting housings and visual rhythm generators, their dark voids activating the warm surface through figure-ground contrast. The overall composition invites contemplation of the relationship between constructed environment and natural systems, suggesting that architectural innovation might aspire toward the complexity and beauty of organic formation while serving human needs for restoration and wellbeing.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The seemingly complex geometry gives the new roof static strength, allowing the entire pool space to be covered virtually without supports. In this way, the new roof floats above the pool platform, which is designed as an exterior space. Numerous skylights in the roof, together with the ability to fully open all the facade glass surfaces, enable the guests to seamlessly pass through the interior of the building. Despite its size and the space it occupies, the new roof simply acts as a big summertime sunshade and does not usurp any of the precious exterior space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Size: 8.780 m2
Site: 10.200 m2
Footprint: 3.930 m2 - Tags
- Wellness, swimming pools, family spa, wood, natural, parametric, roof, architecture, rural, green
- Production Technology
- Fabrication techniques :
- combination of concrete and steel, building mostly underground with structural glazing and double cladding facade,
- large span roof construction from light steel framework,
- supporting tethraedical domes made of laminated wooden panels,
- structural glazed facade with large scale pivoting windows,
- pool plaza, designed in the same manner for outdoor and indoor pools – concrete base, cladded with Pebbletech finish, enabling complicated organic shapes. - Project Duration
- The project started in 2016 and was constructed in May 2018 in Podčetrtek, Slovenia.
- Inspiration
- Termalija Family Wellness is the latest in the series of projects which we have built at Terme Olimia in the last fifteen years and concludes the complete transformation of the spa complex. A lot of effort was invested into designing the buildings in such a way that they don't fill the space but connect it even more with the surrounding nature. The volume of necessary space required siting of a larger structure which couldn´t simply be buried below the grade like in our previous projects on the site. No longer being able to reference only the surrounding natural landscape, the solution was found in scale and form of surrounding vernacular structures. Large roof above water area was divided into sets of smaller segments to prevent its scale from overwhelming the surroundings. Viewed from a distance, the shape, colour, and scale of new clustered structure of tetrahedral volumes is a continuation of the cluster of surrounding rural buildings, which visually extends into the heart of the complex.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Miran Kambič
Image #2: Photographer Miran Kambič
Image #3: Photographer Miran Kambič
Image #4: Photographer Miran Kambič
Image #5: Photographer Miran Kambič
Video Credits: Miran Kambič
PDF images: Photographer Miran Kambič
PDF plans: ENOTA
Colors of Termalija Family Wellness Swimming Pools
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