Month: September 2018

A natural public pool near Basel

Basel is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting destinations when it comes to planning a trip to discover a region with good architecture. This Swiss city and its immediate surroundings have numerous outstanding pieces of work, both in terms of design and execution. Herzog & de Meuron were behind a project on the banks of the River Wiese that is a magnificent exponent of this and that is reminiscent of the old baths that once stood on the riverbank, very near its confluence with the Rhine.

The Swiss studio decided to abandon the concept of a conventional pool in favor of a project closer to nature, with the help of biological filters. This approach was was publicly discussed by the citizens of Riehen and officially approved by a municipal vote. The citizens now have a large lake with planted filtering cascades, an adaptation of the local baadi, traditional wooden Rhine-side baths.

piscina natural

A large wooden wall on one side shelters a solarium 200 meters long with recliners, whilst the other side (on the side of the river) is open, hemmed in by a bushy hedge. There is just one small building that houses the entrance and the supporting facilities.

The heart of the project is the bathing pond in the middle of the site. The biological water treatment basins are embedded in the sloping landscape on the opposite side of the road. In terms of ecological cleaning capacity, the baths are designed to accommodate 2,000 bathers per day. Together with various leisure facilities found here, they form a recreational area open all year round to the local population.

Ladies and gentlemen: fasten your swimsuits!

Can you think of a better way to escape the usual hustle and bustle of air travel than with a refreshing dip? The three airports below all have a pool, a guaranteed way to beat the boredom and make layovers, delayed flights and cancellations more (much more) bearable.

The first on the list is located at one of the world’s most luxurious hubs: Hamad International Airport in Doha. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Vitality Spa’s heated pool measures 25 meters long and 5 meters wide and is covered by a glass dome. For $35 (roughly €30), anyone with a layover at this Qatari airport can go for a swim, work out in the gym, play squash or kickback in a stunning hydrotherapy pool.

Doha-Airport_TheCoolPool

If you need more adrenaline-pumping activities to relax, check out Munich International Airport. For the past five summers, this German airport has hosted Surf & Style, a spectacular indoor wave pool where travellers can surf for 45 minutes. This 204 m2 pool is located between terminals 1 and 2, and entrance is free (with board and wetsuit included!) but keep in mind that advanced registration is required. And if surfing isn’t your thing, you can always have a drink at the beach bar.

Munich-Airport-Surf_TheCoolPool

The pool that closes our list of airport oases is found at Singapore Changi International Airport, ranked the world’s best airport since 2013. Located on the roof of Terminal 1, this pool provides an unbeatable place to relax and get some sun between flights. The Balinese-themed facilities features a spectacular hot tub overlooking the runway. Guests can enjoy this luxurious space for a very affordable S$14 (roughly €9) and includes a towel, access to the showers and one (non-alcoholic) drink at the bar.

singapore-changi-airport_thecoolpool

With all these options available, more than one passenger is bound to have gone through security with their bathing suit already on, ready to kick off their holiday a few hours before take-off. What about you? How would you like to spend your next layover: catching a wave or kicking back in a hydrotherapy pool?

White Concrete Open Lounge in Morelos, Mexico

Tepoztlán is located in Morelos, a state in south-central Mexico. Given its location less than fifty miles from the Mexican capital and pleasant climate, the town is known as a popular tourist destination among the citizens of Mexico City

Some visitors come for the fresh air away from the big city; others, however, are attracted by the legends and stories told about the region. Lounge Tepoztlán, the first building constructed on this spot, is part of a larger tourist complex, a cluster of bungalows created to promote outdoor activities in this unique corner of Mexico.

Lounge morelos vertical thecoolpool The Cadaval & Solà-Morales architecture firm, with offices in Barcelona and Mexico City, designed and constructed a building based on three adjoining spaces on a white foundation. Three different uses -kitchen, kids’ playroom, and lounge/bedroom- enclosed on three ends of a larger open space without vertical walls, protected only by vegetation.

This clear geometric shape, like the three points of a boomerang, create a central common area between each of the spaces which allow users to experience nature while inside the building. Plants, trees, flowers and vegetation are integrated, and two huge trees emerge from the floor between the furniture that organises the interior space.

Lounge morelos thecoolpoolThe last element added to the building is the pool, which clearly works with the building’s open space. The activity inside naturally extends outside. The pool is elliptical and offers a range of uses: users can swim, splash, cool down, dive or just dip their feet.

The complex is constructed in white concrete for its affordability and low maintenance.

 

How do you disinfect your pool water?

There are different treatments for looking after pool water that make it possible to keep the water clean and, above all, free of pathogenic microorganisms that can affect the health of bathers.

Chlorine is the most popular chemical used for treating pool water, but not the most advanced disinfectant.

One disadvantage of chemical treatment using chlorine is that it must be used alongside other products, such as a pH regulator, and it must be remembered that if the right dose is not added, it can cause sore eyes, dry skin, rashes and even blemishes on the skin.

However, it is beginning to lose its popularity due to the launch of more effective and sustainable solutions on the market.

Salt chlorination, or electrolysis, is based on the age-old understanding of the antiseptic properties of salt. The latest range of AstralPool Viron Salt Chlorinator and Viron eQuilibrium Chlorinator now come with Bluetooth control, giving you wireless control 24/7!

But… How does it work? Salt chlorinators generate chlorine from the table salt dissolved in the water. Disinfection is more efficient due to the combined action of the chlorine and other agents that are generated during salt chlorination (active oxygen) and to the oxidation on the electrodes of the organic matter in the water.

Bathers will no longer suffer from skin irritation and sore eyes, as the chloramines that cause these effects are destroyed.

Another method of disinfection that does not require any type of chemical product for keeping your pool in perfect condition is ultraviolet disinfection.

Sunlight removes the germs and prevents the spread of bacteria and fungi. It is a more physical method that enables all of a pool’s water to be treated and results in disinfected water with no bad smells or sore eyes thanks to the drastic reduction in chloramines.

Furthermore, it is an extremely environmentally friendly alternative (fewer top-ups of water, fewer residual by-products form in the water and the environment, and no chemical products are added to the water).

Another alternative is disinfection by neolysis, which consists in combining the advantages of the salt chlorination and UV ray methods described above.

Would you like more information? Contact us and we will help you clear up any questions you may have.