Once the bath design competition outcome was decided, the public procurement process was conducted and the contract went to BORD Architect Studio.
The single tender procedure for the design works for the complete renewal of the Aquaticum Mediterranean Pleasure Baths was completed. BORD Építész Stúdió Kft. will prepare the permit and design documentation for a net price of 305 million HUF according to the contract.
The city had previously launched an open architectural design competition for the development of the Aquaticum Mediterranean Pleasure Baths, which was also won by BORD, and then a public procurement procedure was launched for the construction plans.
Aquaticum is Hungary’s first indoor adventure pool and has been visited by millions of visitors since 2003 (in the year before the pandemic it had nearly 280,000 guests). The pool is maintained every year, and funds have also been allocated for minor improvements – for example, a baby and mum lounge was added in 2016 – but the current investment will be on a much larger scale.
Péter Bordás, the owner and chief designer of BORD Architect Studio Ltd., said that they tried to create extra space in the building, for example, the wave pool was moved deeper, creating a canyon with an extra pool, and the new slides will be introduced here. This will create a subterranean connection to the old swimming pool. A Turkish bath character was envisioned for the bathhouse, and to give it an openness, an arcaded section was opened up to the public spaces. From the pool in the bathhouse, it will be possible to swim through a corridor to the bathhouse, so that it will not only be possible to walk from one part of the building to the other.
Mayor László Papp said that the winning bid will renovate the Aquaticum while respecting the existing buildings, pointing out that the swimming pool section was designed by József Borsos.
Three new pools and two new slides will be added to the indoor pool, with the slides ending at the new basement level, making them longer and more exciting.
The spa will undergo a makeover, with a combination of water and vegetation that will make it feel like an uninhabited green planet, accessible by spaceships and flying machines – elements that will also be incorporated into the spa.
The whole complex, including the hotel and the beach, will be interconnected, which is very important for hotel guests. On the ground floor, there will be a new children’s pool, with a glass spaceship for a unique experience. A rocket launch station will also be built in an adventure pool, which will entertain children with light, steam, and sound effects.
The design process could be completed in 2022, while construction is scheduled to start after the end of the tendering process in the same year, with completion by 2024 at the latest.
Source: Dehir
