Since 2007, Salon Piscina BCN , the International Swimming Pool, Wellness, and Aquatic Facilities Exhibition, has held a competition and awarded prizes to the best swimming pools in several categories: innovation, sustainability, residential pools, wellness centers, and recreational sports facilities. This year, Reindesa has been selected as a finalist for the award in the wellness center category for the project completed at the Metropolitan Las Arenas club , a pool we are very proud of as it presented a significant challenge.
The facility is located inside the iconic Las Arenas bullring , now remodeled into one of Barcelona’s most spectacular shopping centers, with the unique feature of being located on its fourth floor and above the multiplex cinemas.
The sports center comprises several rooms, including a fitness room, a beauty salon, and a warm-up room. All of these face outwards to take advantage of the spectacular panoramic views of Barcelona . There’s even an athletics track suspended from the exterior of the building, but the most important feature is undoubtedly the spa.
It is a swimming pool measuring 20.00 meters by 9.00 meters, whose main characteristic is that it has no right angles, just like the rest of the room where it is located, harmonizing perfectly with the round shape of the old bullring . This entire space was designed by the prestigious architect Esteban Becerril Heredero of the firm B+R Arquitectos Asociados .
The spa features 18 air-water hydromassage benches, 6 air-air hydromassage benches, 7 hydromassage beds, 4 impressive waterfalls measuring 1.20m high and 0.70m wide, and 4 cervical massage jets, all made of stainless steel and specially designed for this center .
Completely white, the Spa is characterized by the use of two different materials: vitrified mosaic tiles and synthetic resin panels . The room combines white with chocolate brown, the corporate colors of the various Metropolitan clubs . Inside, we find RGB LED projectors and mini RGB LED projectors controlled by two modulators and a DMX system that allows the lighting to be synchronized with the music, as well as the creation of different scenes that the Club wishes to present. This entire lighting system is complemented by chromotherapy projections on the ceiling above the Spa.
INNOVATION
The difficulties presented by the construction of the Spa in a place like the Las Arenas bullring with all its particularities gave us the opportunity to create new solutions and to innovate .
The spa is constructed of concrete on 60cm high igloo-shaped blocks, allowing us to see its underside. It was also designed with a one-meter-wide infinity pool , the interior of which is a gallery, making the entire perimeter of the spa easily accessible. This is a great help both for regular maintenance of the facilities and for detecting any leaks that might occur in the pool’s watertightness.
Due to the existing space problem, the technical room was designed as a very tidy pool house containing two 1050mm filters, Seventeen pumps for filtration , effects and recirculation of hot water, and nine blowers and all the necessary installation for a pool of these characteristics (control panel, lighting panel, automatic analysis ), in just 7.00 meters long by 3.00 meters wide and a height of 1.5m.
The pool is heated by plate heat exchangers, primarily powered by solar panels , with a circuit for recovering excess heat from the dehumidifier, and a boiler as a backup. An intelligent resource management system has been installed that optimizes the use of renewable energy , reserving the boiler as a last resort.
The jury’s verdict and the awards ceremony will take place on October 19th , coinciding with the Salón Piscina BCN . We’ll keep our fingers crossed and await the results with a sporting spirit: May the best one win!
