The viaducts will be repurposed for the function of a year round outdoor swimming facility: the Aqua-nect. It's location offers swimmers a new experience of the city, formerly only accessible by vehicles.
The Aqua-nect is a space where contrasting demographics can convene with anonymity. Swimming necessitates the act of “disrobing”, symbolizing an act of disarmament. Thus, no matter the origins of the swimmers, they regard each other as equal in their bareness.
The Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts connect together various environments within its proximity. These include the contrasting neighbourhoods of the Downtown East Side to the north, new high density developments to the South, the downtown core to the west and lower density/ housing to the east; the city's athletic facilities including Roger's Arena, BC Place, and turf fields located in Andy Livingstone Park and Trillium Park; and lastly, the multiple modes of transportation used to pass through the site includ¬ing car, cycle and foot. Thus, addressing all of these unique characteristics of the viaducts, what is proposed is an outdoor aquatics facility along with a public bath house. The viaducts will be repurposed for the function of a year round outdoor swimming facility: the Aqua-nect.
In the winter, the various beeches in Vancouver are no longer swimmable. While the city already has a few outdoor swimming pools, they become closed as the rainy winter months of Vancouver set in. By using a stretch of the viaducts to accommodate an unexpected method of transportation – swimming- the viaducts can become a space for movement and destination. Its location offers swimmers a new and exciting experience of the city, formerly only accessible by vehicles.
There are 4 pools: “third pool”, “second pool” and “first pool”, and “long pool” all with varying lengths (with “first pool” being an Olympic sized 50m and “long pool” a length suitable to be used for triathlons). The water for the pool is captured on site and treated at the main building. It is then pumped through the pool via the various Sauna Stops. A portion of the captured rain water is used for public water features as well as to water site vegetation.
The Sauna Stops are lit from below so that the underside of the Via¬ducts can become usable space at night. Additionally, at various points along the length of the pool the supporting structure "opens” to reveal the swimming activities above. The lighting of the underside of the viaduct is meant to activate the space such that it can become more usable public space.
(Competitor's text)
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