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Architects: Auer Weber, CAAU
- Area: 11637 m²
- Year: 2016
- Photographs: Aldo Amoretti
“Sourcéane” is a new sports, leisure and wellness swimming hall in Douai, in the North of France. Due to its location, the aquatic centre will be an essential part of the future eco-quarter of “Le Raquet”, a new city district, at whose heart will be a landscaped park. The new swimming hall lies at its northeastern end, at the interface between the artificial landscape of the park and the urban structure of the city. The project is oriented towards the future tramway station and a central urban square.
The duality of the urban surroundings in the North and East and the park in the South and West required an architectural solution that is able to reconcile those contrasts. The exterior space flows, in several plateaus, from the outside into the swimming hall. This motif of soft terracing can be found everywhere in the swimming hall complex.
The two facades at the entrance level are entirely transparent, providing a continuous visual connection between the interior pools and outdoor spaces. On the opposite side, delineated by the urban park, the building emerges as a large hill, establishing a continuity and expansion into the green space. The building blends with the landscape through the implementation of curvilinear planted terraces resembling rice fields, with the lower levels providing outdoor pools and their accompanying decks.
The main goal of the wellness area is to invite and immerse the visitor in an atmosphere of relaxation and retreat. The place is an invitation for all generations; a sensation of great landscapes. The five senses are engaged in a journey of exotic well-being, a unique experience in the heart of “Le Raquet”.
