Introduction
The second competition in a design series focused on Liepaja Seaside Park (Liepaja, Latvia) to be presented a vision for a new development that would consist of thermal pool park with outdoor and indoor SPA facilities. Over 90 innovative, creative and well elaborated submissions were received from all over the world; evaluation of each proposal was conducted in an ethical, professional, accurate and technically adequate manner.
The Consultative Jury Committee consisting of experts and professionals in the field chose 10 finalists whose proposals were handed over to the Core Jury Committee for a further evaluation. After an interesting and engaging debate in Liepaja - “in the city where the wind was born” - the winners of the project were chosen.
The main aspects taken into consideration, making a decision was integration of the complex in the urban design and urban settings of the town, environmental capacity, sustainability, functionality and financial viability.
Bee Breeders architecture competition organisers and Liepaja City Council would like to express our gratitude to all the participants who took their time and talent to share their unique ideas on the competition topic. Your work and effort is appreciated very much and we value your skills and expertise highly. Below, the Core Jury Committee describes the three winning proposals.
Competition results in media publications
1st Prize Winner
Baltic Thermal Pool Park
United States
Jury feedback summary
The project offers a unique perspective on a development of a thermal pool park. The authors have created the complex as a multi-functional center where one can find different kind of activities in all four seasons. Swimming and exercising in thermal pools, outdoor film screenings, and local apple, cherry and plum harvesting as a part of a local market space program. In the project “cut-and-fill” technique mostly has been executed – excavated and removed material from location is used to fill another location as a result creating an appealing and intriguing topography for City of Liepaja. The jury was especially impressed by the futuristic touch of the project and the opportunity to have high-quality SPA and recreational services in the town throughout the year. The jury also emphasized the multi-functional nature of the project – adding more activities in and around the complex can be an extra value added for the inhabitants of the city who could visit the complex not only to enjoy the beauty of SPA and thermal pools but also enjoy a good film or teach their children the basic entrepreneurial skills, selling the local apples picked from the garden at the site in specially designed market spaces.
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Troll’s Tongue Observation Platform
2nd Prize Winner
Baltic Thermal Pool Park
France
Jury feedback summary
The authors of this project have divided the buildings in two different functionality programs – the main SPA complex where all the attractions and SPA treatments are offered and the guest accommodation where the visitors can slowly enjoy the nature and charm of the hundreds of years old trees. The thermal pool center is developed in the space where the least number of trees to be cut; the guest accommodation is scattered through-out the site to create the feeling of “small villages in the forest” to enable visitors to forget their daily routine and get the maximum gain of the visit in order to accomplish their goal – to get an unforgettable SPA treatment. Glass plates are used for the main SPA complex building, which gives the visitor a chance to be in touch with the nature even enjoying the SPA treatments indoors. The jury emphasizes the financial viability in construction of this project and the original location of the treatment rooms and thermal pools.
3rd Prize Winner
Baltic Thermal Pool Park
France
Jury feedback summary
The authors of this project have divided the buildings in two different functionality programs – the thermal and wellness complex and the guest accommodation, divided into several small entities. The buildings have been located in a careful manner to preserve the existing environment and surroundings. The authors have emphasized the relationship between a visitor and nature – to get the full thermal and wellness complex experience, one has to take a stroll through a forest to enjoy the beauty of it and to have a chance to enjoy a breeze of fresh sea air. The main thermal and wellness complex itself plays with the ambivalences as water and the forest, Earth and air. The ambivalences are shown though perspective of different scales and graduation of colours, used in the interior design in the main complex. The jury emphasizes the character of the project, financial viability in implementation and pool layout design ideas.
