4.5 Sportplaza Mercator Public Swimmingpool

To let the building blend in with the Rembrandtpark, it was completely covered with vegetation. To this end, more than fifty species of plants, shrubs and trees were placed on the roof and the façades. The vertical growth panels are irrigated through a sophisticated system, bringing exactly the right amount of water to each plant, depending on the local conditions. Sportplaza Mercator is located in Amsterdam-West’s multicultural district De Baarsjes. With the construction of a multifunctional swimming pool, the municipality wanted to improve social life in the neighbourhood. In addition to a swimming pool with a health centre, the complex therefore also houses a party centre, a café and a fast food restaurant. This mix of functions allows the different groups in the neighbourhood to meet each other in the complex. It took a while for the vegetation to actually make the building blend in with its surroundings. But ten years after completion, it is a green rock rising from the park around it.

-Amsterdam (NL) 2006

-Ton Venhoeven CS Achitecture+Urbanism, Copijn tuin- en landschapsarchitecten

more info: website Venhoeven cs