The rainy climate of La Coruña, Spain, became the perfect opportunity to explore unique designs for this commercial swimming pool facility. Sparked by an architectural competition that the local authorities headed, the primary goal was to create a cost- effective prototype for a pool, to be built on a minimal budget.
Spanish architect Francisco Mangado won the competition with his innovative design, which — while looking simple on the outside — implemented a playful aspect of the Galicia region’s climate into the final look.
Proposed as the identifying feature of the project, Mangado added a convex roof to the building. From the inside, it looks like the ceiling bows toward the water, close enough to touch. From the outside, however, it resembles a large gutter — a tongue-in-cheek reference to the rainy landscape in the port city.
The project as a whole is marked by its compactness and capacity to adapt to different urban features, according
to the ArchDaily project description, and manages to contain an impressive amount of services for the public. Aside from the gymnasium and swimming pool, there is a kitchen, cafeteria and restaurant, the latter used as a “bridge” to connect the two. Complete with dressing rooms, a sauna and a first-aid room on the first floor, this architectural masterpiece is far from simple.
Despite the need for a minimal budget per the competition’s requirements, Mangado gives the pool an exceptionally fresh look with his placement of windows. While two large windows in the lower parts of the walls illuminate the water of the
pool and “invite the landscape into the gymnasium and swimming pool,” sets of horizontal windows near the top make the swooping ceiling shine.
Using concrete pillars and laminated wood, the facade of this building isn’t the flashiest of all commercial swimming pools — but that isn’t the point. In the confines of the competition, Mangado exercises his innovative and masterful design skills to create something unique, specific to the region and entirely unforgettable, all on a budget.
This article first appeared in the March 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.
