At the end of November, the Piscina & Wellness Barcelona Awards Show recognized the best aquatic facilities, projects, and solutions, bringing new consumer benefits in various market spaces, including wellness and community spaces. Before bestowing awards, a Jury assessed each work's degree of innovation, sustainability, and value proposition.
The Best Innovative Product in Sustainability award went to ERCROS, S.A. for its new 100% recyclable cardboard packaging in their water treatment product line — an ecological commitment to responsibly sourced cardboard with a Forest Stewardship Council (FCS) certification.
The Best Innovative Product in Connectivity went to FLUIDRA for its new range of AstralPool Verdon VS variable-speed connected pumps, which, thanks to their self-regulation and programming system, optimize energy consumption while being controlled remotely via the Fluidra Pool App.
Wellness Experience Awards
With 52 entries, The Jury of the Wellness Experience Awards gave the prize for Best Spa/Thermal Baths/Medical Spa in the region of Spain and Portugal to Vidago Palace Hotel Golf & Spa in Portugal. The Best Thalassotherapy Center award went to Palasiet Thalasso Clinic & Hotel of Spain. Finally, the Best Wellness Spa award was given to Parador Costa da Morte, also located in Spain.
In the category reserved for centers in the rest of Europe, the Best Spa/Thermal Baths/Medical Spa award went to The Retreat at Blue Lagoon in Grindivk, Iceland. The award for Best Thalassotherapy Center went to Riminiterme of Italy. Lastly, the Best Wellness Spa Center award went to Schloss Roxburghe, located in Scotland. The Spanish Balneario de Mondariz Spa also received a Special Mention from the Jury.
International Competition for Architecture Students
For the fourth time, the show held a competition for students from architecture schools and universities who each presented a project for an aquatic center for public use, theoretically located in front of Barcelona's Arc de Triomf.
The Jury was comprised of architects and technicians linked to the city and corporate sponsor representatives from Florida, the company sponsoring the competition, and awarded prizes for first, second, and third prizes. In making their decision, the Jury Valued the contribution of sustainable concepts and the implementation of innovative solutions that reflect the value of water for uses related to health, well-being, and the community.
The winner of the first prize in the competition was the project "Costura Acuática" by Catalina Petra Lizasoain from the Escuela Superior Técnica de Arquitectura de Madrid(ETSAM.) The Jury awarded second prize to the project "Reflexión, Refracción y Dispersión" signed by the students Dolores Orea Casado from the Escuela Superior Técnica de Arquitectura de Barcelona and by Lorena Sánchez García and Clara Rivas Sainz, both from the ETSAM. Finally, the third-place winner was "The Shape of Water" by Daniel de Pérez-Cabrero from the School of Architecture of Barcelona.
