Public Bath Memmingen

Urban design | A self-sufficient, amorphously shaped building represents an autonomous and identity-creating setting in the midst of a rather heterogeneous development structure. It is surrounded by a park-like open space with a high atmospheric density, which is framed by functional buildings such as a parking deck. These buildings are cloaked in a fine veil of metal mesh and natural vegetation and form spatial edges to the hidden neighboring buildings.

Natural space and outdoor space | The urban stream is upgraded to a biotope with a shallow water zone with reeds and willows, whose water level pulsates. New birch plantings complement this space. Embedded in this self-regulating natural space are outdoor pools in the form of hollowed stones, which guarantee an unmistakable natural pool atmosphere. All structures in the park area, such as the parking deck, the company apartments and the outdoor changing rooms, are elevated, wooden, pavilion-like buildings with a deliberately temporary character, which interact symbiotically with the park atmosphere.

Interior | Bathing in the stone takes place on different levels with different spatial, acoustic and, above all, haptic-sensual qualities, fed by Alpine spring water from Lake Vilsalp. The individual pools, which are connected from top to bottom by a natural slide, create familiar associations with the nearby mountain region. A high spatial and atmospheric density is created by the block-like interplay of the embedded spatial vessels, which are orthogonally structured and elegantly lined according to their use. The internal spaces in between abut the amorphous shell structure and correspond to the hollowed stone.

Materialization and construction | A massive tamped concrete construction serves as a carrier of spatial density in the interior. This is surrounded by a static and thermal reinforced concrete shell made of lightweight insulating concrete, which in turn has a facing shell made of self-compacting high-performance concrete as a weather-resistant outer skin. This creates the desired effect of a river pebble or boulder both inside and out and utilizes the thermal qualities of a solid construction as well as the economic advantages of low-cost construction and low-maintenance upkeep. The spa is fed by spring water from the Vilsalpsee lake in the neighboring Austrian Tannheimer Tal, which is fed into the underground layers by means of deep drilling and pumping.

Summary | The site-specific, identity-creating setting offers a unique indoor and outdoor atmosphere as well as didactic, natural qualities and represents an alternative to the usual bathing landscapes.