Coastlands Aquatic Centre

31 Dec

The design, a collaborative effort with LHT Design, sees the building's main form over the pool hall to be a transparent ETFE foil roof supported by a timber gridshell. Completed in 2013, the $18m aquatic centre is located on a greenfield site adjacent to the District Council offices and new library in Paraparaumu.

The facility is a long-awaited and major sporting development for the district and replaced the ageing Raumati Pool.

Location
Kapiti Coast, Paraparaumu

Date completed
2013

Team
Neil Cotton

Awards

NZ Timber Award - Runner-up in the Architectural Excellence category 2014
NZ Timber Award - Winner in the Engineering Excellence category 2014
NZ Timber Award - Joint Supreme Award winner 2014

The design, a collaborative effort with LHT Design, sees the building's main form over the pool hall to be a transparent ETFE foil roof supported by a timber gridshell. This gives the impression of outdoor swimming, but in fact creates a controlled environment all year round. By contrast, the remaining amenity and service spaces are housed within relatively simple, self-contained and insulated boxes to the front and rear of the pool hall.

Aquatic facilities include a 25m, 10-lane lap pool with a rise and fall floor, 160 spectator seats, learners and toddlers pools and twin hydroslides. Additional facilities include a spa pool, sauna, change and service spaces, plus a multi-purpose space, commercial space, external courtyards and car parking.

The possibility of a future stage has been accommodated in the design that would contain a 50m competition pool, a hydrotherapy pool and additional change and service spaces to complete the long term vision for the district.