Les Bains Des Docks

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Les Bains Des Docks
Les bains des docks - 2009-10-14.jpg
View of the building at night from across the water.
General information
Type Aquatic Complex
Location Le Havre, France
Address Quai de la réunion
76600 Le Havre
Coordinates 49°29′13.50″N0°7′37.50″E / 49.4870833°N 0.1270833°E / 49.4870833; 0.1270833 Coordinates: 49°29′13.50″N0°7′37.50″E / 49.4870833°N 0.1270833°E / 49.4870833; 0.1270833
Completed July 17, 2008
Cost 16 000 000 €
Client Mairie du Havre, CODAH
Technical details
Floor area 12000 m2
Design and construction
ArchitectPartner in charge
Mirco Tardio
Project architect design
Julie Fernandez
Project architect construction
Felix Medina
Architecture firm Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Structural engineer Sero Le Havre
Other designersLighting
AIK Yann Kersalé
Acoustics
Avel
References
[1]

Les Bains Des Docks (The Bath by the docks) is an Aquatic Center in the city of Le Havre, France. It was designed by award winning architectural firm Ateliers Jean Nouvel as part of an effort by Le Havre to revitalize its docks and warehouse district.

Jean Nouvel French architect (b.1945)

Jean Nouvel is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l'Architecture. He has obtained a number of prestigious distinctions over the course of his career, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2005 and the Pritzker Prize in 2008. A number of museums and architectural centres have presented retrospectives of his work.

Contents

About

The overall design was inspired by the Roman thermal baths as people can go to congregate in most of the various pools year round. The simple exterior of the building is a precast concrete painted black with a grey base and random windows of varying sizes. Inside there are of over 6 indoor and outdoor pools in different areas including an Olympic sized lap pool and children's play area. Most of the interior consists of straight, boxy designs painted in white with the exception of a children's play area which is multicolored. Several of the indoor pools are at varying levels and waterfalls give a natural division to the different spaces. Large skylights and exterior windows bring in natural light throughout.

<i>Thermae</i> public facilities for bathing in ancient Rome

In ancient Rome, thermae and balneae were facilities for bathing. Thermae usually refers to the large imperial bath complexes, while balneae were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed in great numbers throughout Rome.

The building was featured in the August 2009 issue of Architectural Record [2]

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References

  1. "Ateliers Jean Nouvel Les Bains des Docks Project Portfolio". Archrecord.construction.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  2. "Les Bains des Docks". Archrecord.construction.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.