Cross Currents

A Structural Expression in Water and Form

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Situated at a threshold between campus and city, this aquatic center serves as both a civic landmark and a high-performance facility. The project’s ambition is twofold: to accommodate the rigorous spatial demands of competitive swimming and leisure recreation, while simultaneously making the building’s structure an expressive part of the architectural experience.

 

 

Programmatic Separation Through Spatial Logic

 

The dual function of the building—supporting both competition and leisure—required a careful orchestration of private and public zones. The design establishes a clear programmatic gradient: staff, athletes, and aquatic users are located on the north and east sides of the building, while public spectators and visitors are welcomed through the south and west. This orientation serves multiple purposes:

 

• Optimized circulation for athletes and staff

• Clear sightlines and access for spectators

• Sanitary separation between wet and dry zones

 

This thoughtful spatial choreography ensures a frictionless overlap of private training and public engagement while supporting the health, safety, and efficiency of daily operations.

 

 

Structure as Concept: Inspired by Water in Motion

 

The primary architectural driver of the project is the phenomenon of cross currents—where intersecting water flows create complex, dynamic movements. This natural behavior becomes a metaphor and model for the building’s structure. Rather than concealing structural systems, the project celebrates them as visible, legible expressions of motion and force.

 

Trusses, beams, and tension elements are arrayed in diagonals and overlays, evoking the turbulence and elegance of water in flux. These structural “currents” cross above pools and public areas, casting shadows and patterns that reinforce the building’s relationship to its aquatic function. The result is a space that feels both grounded and fluid, both engineered and poetic.

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Urban Edge and Campus Gateway

 

Located directly off campus, the aquatic center occupies a high-traffic zone—dense with both pedestrian and vehicular circulation. The design embraces this context by treating the building as a gateway. Transparent glazing along public edges reveals interior activities, inviting curiosity and creating a visual connection between the interior world of sport and the civic realm beyond.

 

The entry sequence is defined by a gradually rising canopy—a gesture that lifts toward the sky and draws visitors inward. From the outside, the building reads as an elegant machine for movement; from the inside, it is a constantly shifting experience of structure, light, and water.

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A Space for Both Precision and Play

 

While the competition pool meets exacting standards for lap swimming, timing, and events, the leisure pool is more playful—curved forms, shallow entries, and seating areas accommodate families, casual swimmers, and therapeutic users. The contrast between these two zones reinforces the building’s dual mission: to perform and to play.

 

This aquatic center is a celebration of water, structure, and flow. It elevates the mundane requirements of a pool facility into a spatial narrative—one that engages body, community, and the senses. By drawing inspiration from the dynamic patterns of cross currents, the architecture becomes more than a container for swimming—it becomes a reflection of water itself: fluid, interconnected, and always in motion.