WilkinsonEyre was appointed to design this new swimming pool for Worthing Borough Council following an RIBA competition. The new complex includes a six-lane, 25-metre pool, a combined learner/diving pool, indoor leisure pools with rapids, flumes and outdoor waters, a health and fitness centre, café, crèche and flexible space for other activities.
The main pool hall acts as a viewfinder, connecting the street with the seafront, and the building terminates in a series of glazed façades directly overlooking the water. This device creates a striking internal space awash with natural daylight. The environment was challenging – the saline coastal context, coupled with the chlorine-rich pool area, made for a harsh context.