New swimming pool centre in robust and warm materials

In the new Åbybadet, there is an emphasis on robust and warm materials, while creating an open and smooth transition between the different pools. Troldtekt panels are used as an acoustic solution in the swimming pool hall itself and are particularly suitable for rooms with high humidity.

In Mölndal south of Göteborg in western Sweden, a new swimming pool centre has been built on the same site in Åby Arenastad where the former Åbybadet stood. The new Åbybadet has swimming pools for both young and old, a water park with slides as well as a spa area, sauna and cafe.

Architects Liljewall designed the new Åbybadet with a focus on robust and warm materials.

The building’s facade consists of a high plinth in a rust-coloured hue, which contrasts well with the bricks that the rest of the building is made of. The horizontal and vertical bricks form a pattern creating the illusion of beams and frame the vertical windows, while the windows themselves, together with the facade’s niches, create a varying rhythm like the rolling waves of the sea.

From the outside, the entrance to the swimming pool centre is prominent, and inside the entrance area visitors are guided through the entrance hall by a work of art consisting of diode-lit spheres of hand-blown glass created by artist Frederika Lindner. 

Acoustic panels frame the pools

Inside the swimming pool hall itself in the new Åbybadet, standing light-coloured wooden panels, together with the open transition between the different pools, create the feeling of a columned hall. The transitions are smooth and marked by different colour and material choices.

For example, the children’s pool is decorated with ceramic swimming creatures by artist Anita Pauser, and a multicoloured bottom is used in the adult pool. The different pools are framed by dark grey benches, from which you can observe the bathers and swimmers. 

Troldtekt panels were chosen as an acoustic solution inside the swimming pool hall and positioned in such a way as to resemble a frame around the pools from above. The acoustic panels in natural wood, together with the light-coloured wood panels, add warmth to the space and while effectively absorbing the sound of splashing, shouting and playing, contribute to a pleasant visitor experience.

At the same time, the cement-bonded wood wool panels can withstand high humidity and are therefore a suitable acoustic solution for humid environments such as swimming pools.