New breath with an innovative roof

A major architecture firm breathes new life into a wellness center in Slovenia by building a sculptural structure on its roof.the

The company is transforming the 80s complex from a classic wellness center into a modern spa. The new facilities are located in the area where the outdoor pool with a seasonal roof used to be. Although this cover was made to be retracted in the summer months, this was never done due to the complexity of the retracting process. Both the shape and the enormous size made the membrane stand out from afar and strongly differ from the rest of the installations. Thus the need for renovation was presented. 

The necessary volume that the new buildings would cover, together with the water surfaces, continued to have a large size and could not be assimilated smoothly by the landscape of the area. The solution was given when the decision was made to follow the traditional constructions of the specific area. 

The water part of the building was covered by a separate structure, while the rest was covered with smaller pieces of roof of the same philosophy. As one views the space from a distance, one sees a group of tetrahedral volumes as a continuation of the buildings in the area. This provides a visual extension between the project and the general framework. 

The construction of the grouped volumes gives the new roof static strength, allowing the entire pool area to be covered, virtually without support. In this way, the new roof appears to float above the pool, which is designed as if it were outdoors. Due to the lack of outdoor spaces in the summer, it was important to consider solutions with the help of which the closed winter space would also function in the summer season. The solution was provided with numerous skylights on the roof as well as with the possibility of the facade being fully opened. Thus the visitor can pass unhindered from the interior to the exterior of the building. Despite the size and space consumed, the new roof simply acts as a shade in the summer without losing valuable outdoor space.