The Orense campus at the University of Vigo became home to a stunning cantilevered swimming pool, forever altering the landscape of the university. Designed by Spanish architect Francisco Mangado, the pool’s location at the highest point of campus gives it “special value in the relationship between the city of Orense and the campus,” Mangado told ArchDaily.
Put simply, the entire building is a vast platform that overlooks the university, giving those inside and out a wonderful view from either vantage point — either looking up toward a wall of beautiful windows and a fascinatingly geometric building, or looking out on the campus and its buildings.
“The special location has inspired the main conceptual and formal decisions of the project,” the studio explains in the official statement.
“The platform is designed with bold projections supported by a strong base that, aside from spanning the existing drops, shapes the pools and contains all the water treatment services and necessary systems for the correct performance of the program. The contrast between the massive, topographic base and the cantilevering light glass surfaces surrounding the public level of swimming pools is one of the basic formal arguments of the project.”
Covered in windows and giving a fresh new look to the landscape, one of the major goals of the Vigo University swimming pools was to “opt for a program oriented toward leisure, [aiming to] serve both the university community and the people of Orense.” With multiple poolside spaces and the corresponding amenities — changing rooms, restrooms and the like — this project fulfills that purpose, providing both an aesthetic appeal to the surrounding landscape and a much-needed space for relaxation and recreation.
Perhaps the most unexpected reflection from Mangado when looking at this showstopping art piece is the focus on the rooftop, which is described as the central element. Despite the addicting views from below and inside the project, Mangado praises the way it changes based on each perspective.
“Seen from the top floors of the housing blocks fronting the plot, it becomes the facade and main image of the building. From the interior, acting as the ceiling of the pools, its geometry seeks a prominent role by defining a space that is detached and projected toward the campus,” he says.
The entire building is testament to what is possible in the world of architecture. Even after 20 years, the pools at Vigo University are still turning heads.
This article first appeared in the February 2026 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
