Great Park Aquatics Center

Studio Work. Fourth Year. Group Project

Program: An Aquatics Center for the Great Park in Irvine, California

Team: Roman Huante, Alenoosh Mardroosian, Natalie Simba, Jun Dinh

This project was selected for a department showcase as one of the best works out of its class

A Haven for Competitive Athletics and Recreation

The Great Park Aquatics Center is home to an exciting combination of recreational swimming, various conventional water sports such as competitive lap swimming, diving, water polo, and even a variation of rock climbing known as deep water solo climbing. It is a place for athletes, spectators, and recreational visitors alike looking for a fun afternoon by the poolside.

This project is one of five proposed athletic facilities for an athletic village development on the Northern end of the Irvine Great Park known as Sports City. As such, this studio also involved site plan coordination efforts between teams.

A Structure Inspired by Its Program

The roof of the Sports City Aquatics Center is designed to respond to its program. It does so through the utilization of a space frame which provides an undulating surface that responds to height requirements and hierarchy of the program. The legs provide not only support for this roof, but also volumes for vertical circulation and surfaces for climbing and diving.

The roof is cladded in panelized aluminum for ease of formability, lightness, water resistance, and shade. Apertures puncture this aluminum cladding to provide light wells for the space below. The interior is cladded in semi transparent polycarbonate panels for expression of the structure beneath, the diffusion of light from the light wells, and expression of the fluidity of water.

A Design for Wellness and the Environment

The legs are cladded in steel mesh to suggest their outer form while providing natural ventilation. We found this to be useful because it reduces the need for air conditioning and provides a safe environment for COVID-19 precautions.

A Theatrical Experience

Along the elevated promenade of its front entrance, visitors can catch a glimpse of aquatic activities below such as recreational swimming and deep water solo climbing. When visitors reach the building, they pass underneath the grand archway and are confronted with a large open space that showcases the diving tower. As they find their seats, visitors travel through the light-filled vertical circulation volumes, where the transparency of the building allows them to see the activities below once more. Their journey concludes at the seats, where they can enjoy an elevated view of the competitions, the structure of the roof form, and the park beyond.