Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

Slangen+Koenis Architects, in collaboration with Cordeel-Farys-Hellebrekers, have been selected transform a historic site in Temse, Belgium, into a new public pool and fitness center. The complex is situated in the Scheldepark, a scenic English landscape garden that once hosted a castle, and more recently a mid-century pool that has now fallen into disrepair. 

The provision of three new pools; a leisure pool, a combination pool and a competition pool as well as a fitness centre, an indoor playground and a restaurant will turn the complex into the epicenter of activity within the park. Slangen+Koenis explained in a press release that “the aim of the design is to combine functions and activities creating a vibrant place during both day and night.” 

Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

The Scheldepark is located on the banks of the river Schedlt, just outside of Temse’s historic center. The new complex references the scenic and historic qualities of its surrounds, and is placed gently into the existing landscape like a pavilion into an English garden. The building is bound on all sides by public zones that soften the transition from garden to interior, and these zones are demarcated by large roof overhangs. 

Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

It was imperative to maintain visual connectivity between the garden and the new program. From the bistro area, both the indoor swimming pool and the Scheldepark can be overseen. A large terrace with flights of steps creates a resting and gathering place for users of the complex and the general park alike, and invites them to stay in the area. 

Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

The complex features a functional layout and routing that enables users to share many central functions, but also gives them the opportunity to retreat to their own activities. The interplay between communal spaces and these more private zones enables new users to be invited into the building, while maintaining the privacy of those utilizing the functions of the center. 

Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

Slangen+Koenis explained in their press release: When designing the pavilion, we took advantage of the 2521 concept with almost 30 years of knowledge in the field of swimming pool design, utilization, exploitation, maintenance and sustainability. The concept of 2521 provides a 25x21m swimming pool and a small restaurant area. However, the design is made-to-measure according to the specific site location and Belgian regulations. Due to the modular design and flexible construction system, it is possible to adapt the layout of the building depending on the program and target groups.

Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

The consortium were awarded a DBFMO contract (Design, Build, Finance, Maintain and Operate) which means they will be overseeing the project for the next 30 years. With program spanning both day and night, Slangen+Koenis said that the pool complex will be “the beating heart of the Scheldepark.”

Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

• Architects: Slangen+Koenis Architecten
• Location: Kasteelstraat 85, 9140 Temse, Belgium
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of Slangen+Koenis Architecten

News via Slangen+Koenis. 

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© Volume

Machines have long been integral to architectural discourse. Vitruvius concluded his ten books with a meditation on war machines, and Le Corbusier published on his industrial muses just over 100 years ago. Yet something is different today. We have always learned from machines—our societies are fundamentally shaped by their processes—but now, machines learn. We live in paradoxical times. Machinic processes, computational algorithms and artificial intelligence have never been so proximate, direct, and intimate to daily life, yet we are many steps removed from their practical operations.

This issue of Volume, the third in our Learning series, seeks to take one small step in the direction towards understanding the contemporary relevance of machines for architecture, and one giant leap for mankind. Volume #49: Hello World! also includes In Loving Support, a 32-page insert produced with Het Nieuwe Instituut on living and working with algorithms.

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Over the coming weeks Volume will share a curated selection of essays from this issue on ArchDaily. This represents the continuation of a partnership between two platforms with global agendas: in the case of ArchDaily to provide inspiration, knowledge and tools to architects across the world and, in the case of Volume, “to voice architecture any way, anywhere, anytime [by] represent[ing] the expansion of architectural territories and the new mandate for design.”

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© Volume

Contributions

• Editorial: Going Live / Nick Axel
• The Rational City / M. Christine Boyer
• Out of the Loop / Doug Spencer
• On Automation in The Stack / Benjamin H. Bratton
• Architecture After the Event Horizon / Kazys Varnelis
• Demo Life / Orit Halpern
• Hausbaumaschine / Nader Vossoughian
• The Ultimate Industrial Revolution / W J McKee
• Animated Aberrations, Rebellious Objects / Shannon Mattern
• Welcome to FutureLand / Victor M. Sanz
• Robots on Screen / Volume
• Insert: In Loving Support
• The Smart City of Gaza / Francesco Sebregondi
• We, Robots / Kas Oosterhuis
• Social Physics and Democratic Suprematism / Philippe Morel
• The Promethean Gift Economy / Troy Conrad Therrien
• Machine Learning from Las Vegas / Pierre Cutellic
• Domestic Machines / Nicholas Korody
• Machinic Apprenticeship / Sara Dean and Etienne Turpin
• Drive / Ed Keller and Carla Leitao
• Here and Anywhere in the World / Valle Medina and Benjamin Reynolds
• Where the City Can’t See / Tim Maughan and Liam Young

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Volume is an “agenda-setting” quarterly magazine, published by the Archis Foundation (The Netherlands). Founded in 2005 as a research mechanism by Ole Bouman (Archis), Rem Koolhaas (OMA*AMO), and Mark Wigley (Columbia University Laboratory for Architecture/C-Lab), the project “reaches out for global views on designing environments, advocates broader attitudes to social structures, and reclaims the cultural and political significance of architecture.”

The latest issue can be purchased here.

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© Stamers Kontor

• Architects: Juul Frost Architects
• Location: 6400 Sønderborg, Denmark
• Area: 50000.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Stamers Kontor

© Stamers Kontor

Site Plan

© Stamers Kontor

In the course of the next 10-15 years, the erstwhile commercial harbour in Sønderborg will be transformed into an attractive and buzzing new urban district. Based on the visions and intentions presented by Gehry Partners LLP for Sønderborg Harbour (2008), JFA has prepared a design guide for Sønderborg Municipality, outlining a development framework for this new part of town. JFA works with the development of urban spaces and areas in both practical and theoretical terms and possesses unique competences in the transformation of mono-functional areas into integral and diverse urban areas. To secure a holistic development of Sønderborg Northern Harbour, JFA makes use of a horizontal planning tool that will incorporate and treat four separate parameters in one process: town, urban spaces, lifestyle, and the body. This ensures a holistic development trajectory that will meet needs at all levels while visions and goals show due regard for the presence of people in the area. In this way, the design guide will, in a collective process, consider the physical context as well as the social interactions and behaviour of users. As an integral part of the process, JFA applied BIM (Building Information Modelling) to outline, qualify, and examine the spatial qualities of the area. At the same time, BIM supports JFA’s holistic work methods and, besides buildings, the application is also used for landscape and urban development.

© Stamers Kontor

Plan 1

© Stamers Kontor

The Havbo housing scheme is the first housing project to be built according to the framework set out by Gehry’s master plan and JFA’s design guide for Sønderborg Northern Harbour. The nine dwellings will be built in the area between Ewer’s Warehouse and the Christian X Bridge – an area characterised by open spaces between the buildings. The design of Havbo will set the scene for future buildings in the northern part of the harbour area, which includes Ewer’s Warehouse, the Cultural Centre, as well as hotel and commercial facilities. Inspired by Rubik’s Cube, the floors of the structure are rotated and offset against one another with the balconies forming part of this rotational design, ‘cutting’ into and out of the building profile. This results in a harmonious building whose white façades reflect the maritime character of the area. The façades are opened up in large window sections linking the exterior with the interior. All dwellings benefit optimally from the view and the surrounding outdoor areas and all have a generous intake of light.

Section

Further, JFA has developed a master plan for the Havbogade district on the Northern Harbour where phase one was recently opened. The aim is to create a unified, cohesive area embracing the existing urban environment and the new projects – a great contrast between the cultural and historical environment, and the planned future buildings. The first new building projects in the harbour area have created new spatial features and a need for additional urban functions while forming a more coherent link to the rest of the town. New workplaces and new homes have already had an effect on the local environment, as increasing numbers of people in the area are having to grow accustomed to new behavioural patterns. At the same time, the new urban area will be a great asset to the town as an important destination. For this reason, access to the harbour area is crucial. Town and harbour should be linked by an efficient network of roads and paths augmented by urban areas. The urban space is where everything will conflate. The public urban spaces will be the hubs where expectations to identity, unity and cohesion, accessibility, functionality, a sense of belonging, atmosphere, and experiences will be met.

© Stamers Kontor

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