when the community Pool feels more like swimming in a lake
We won a competition for this new 25 metre 5 lane swimming pool, learner pool, fitness suite and cafe in Formby, Lancashire. The client’s brief desired a scheme that would work for a wide range of users – a building with “heart” that would form a civic presence on the High Street. The old town centre football ground was also transformed into a new public park which surrounds the building, providing a new focal point for the community.
Swimming at Formby Pool is like swimming in a lake, reconnecting with nature through our choice of sensuous materials, the visual link with the park and the use of daylight.
The swimming pool is the source of much local pride and has had a significant beneficial impact on the community it serves.
RIBA Judges
outside in
The building is entirely timber framed and comprises of two distinct elements. The first is a linear, copper-clad entrance block which contains the foyer, changing facilities and fitness suite. A taller and more expressive timber-clad structure contains the main pool hall and café. The roof geometry gradually changes along the length of the building, giving a greater volume towards the deep end of the pool and creating a more significant presence on the High Street. The building is highly transparent, enhancing its relationship with the park in which it stands.