Is there public debate on the quality of the place?

The municipal indoor swimming pool in Brugg, with its distinctive vaulted concrete roof designed by Heinz Isler, was completed in 1981. The building has now been in use for several decades, and its renovation is under discussion because the building’s exterior and interior are leaking, the water treatment system is no longer up to date and the restaurant is getting on in years. For some time now, the Brugg City Council has been looking at various scenarios for the future of the municipal swimming pool infrastructure. The next step is to hold an architectural competition for the renovation of the old building and the expansion of the existing facility to include a learner pool.

Does the place adapt while at the same time preserving its built heritage?

People have been swimming here since 1937. First there was just one outdoor pool, later a second, and then came changing rooms, diving platforms and, in 1981, the indoor pool. Construction and renovation work is always ongoing. For example, the changing room building, which was built for the outdoor pool in the 1950s by Brugg-based architect Walter Hunziker, was recently refurbished by Froelich & Hsu Architekten. Since then, new changing rooms have been added by the same architects to meet increased demand.

Are negative impacts on the environment minimised?

Swimming pools consume large amounts of energy, for instance to heat the water and the air. This results in high costs that are not covered by admission fees. High energy and operating costs are also an issue at the indoor pool in Brugg. An upcoming renovation is expected to reduce energy consumption and costs in the future. However, the thin-walled concrete shell is a prime example of economical and intelligent use of materials.

Will the place remain attractive in the long term for living, working, leisure and/or tourism?

Both indoor and outdoor swimming pools are very popular. They are used by schools, clubs and private individuals almost around the clock, seven days a week. Swimming lessons are also part of the school curriculum in Switzerland and are vital in a country with so many bodies of water. On a peak day in summer, up to 2,000 people visit the outdoor and indoor pools in Brugg.

Does the place foster community?

Admission to the indoor pool is six Swiss francs for adults and half price for children aged six and over. Tickets for ten visits are even cheaper. The facility is open to everyone. A pool lift is available for those with limited mobility. The indoor pool is used for swimming lessons, aqua fitness classes and lifeguard training. It is a place where people of different ages and social backgrounds meet.

Was the place thoroughly analysed prior to the intervention?

In 2022, the city of Brugg commissioned a historical assessment of the building’s architectural heritage to determine whether the indoor pool has value worthy of preservation. And engineers from Dr. Deuring + Oehninger AG analysed the condition of the concrete shell to ensure that it can be repaired and preserved. Both actions were important prerequisites for the proper implementation of the upcoming steps to expand and renovate the indoor pool facility.

Is the place notable for its distinctiveness?

The many concrete shells designed by engineer Heinz Isler are important surviving examples of Swiss post-war architecture. The versatility of these elegant structures is astonishing. They cover petrol stations, factories and even the indoor swimming pool in Brugg. Seemingly weightless, the thin-shell roof spans an area of 35 by 35 metres. The glazed façades and the round oculus in the centre of the roof provide daylight for the interior.

Do people perceive the place as beautiful?

The fact that the concrete shell was recently assessed for granting heritage protection is an indication of the interest in preserving the building. This is rather unusual for a building from the 1980s, as there is often a lack of understanding of the value of such young works. Here, a space that rises to nine metres in the centre is traversed by a free-spanning shell, creating a roof that merges effortlessly with the façade. Visitors feel almost as if they are under a vaulted sky or in a giant tent – a sublime sensation.