TISZALIGET THERMAL BATH, SZOLNOK

The district Tiszaliget in Szolnok has been serving the citizens of the town as a recreation site offering a sports hall, a football stadium, tennis courts, and a beach. One of the greatest advantages of this area is that the city centre is separated from the park area by the river, so the latter is calm and is afflicted only by a reduced amount of traffic, while it is easily accessible through a footbridge built a few years ago. The aim of the open national tender is to find the best way of reconstructing the degraded lido and to examine the opportunities for its long-run development. Our plan submitted to the tender suggests a design that preserves already existing trees in the area thus maintaining the atmosphere of the grove while it creates a new quality replacing the present buildings, offering citizens a favourite spot to visit in the near future, without destroying the current natural environment. The wellness area is to be a portico with columns reminiscent of the trees around, whereas the pool is located in a single-space swimming hall with a modern design that recalls historical bath buildings. The building is shaped as a random series of blocks, each of different size but with a reduced geometry; due to the light structure, the façade does not bear any weight and is partly transparent. The reduced weight increases the hovering effect of the house, making it look incorporeal. Thus the building stands imponderably in its green surroundings. Apart from the building complex, a rowing pond as well as an internal beach area flanked by the house are also included in the project. There is a tension between the geometrical order and the organic environment, and the two give the strength of the composition together: the outdoor pools, the service buildings, the promenades, and the resting places all contribute to the composition. Two hotels adjoin the block of the swimming hall and of the beach, with immediate internal access to the pools, while the main entrance on the corner opens to a half-covered, half-open portico. At this moment, our tender response is rather a strong concept than accomplished reality.

Tiszaliget thermal bath & swimming pool, Szolnok

open architectural design competition, II. prize
client: CITY COUCIL OF SZOLNOK
year of the design: 2008
volume: 10 000 m²