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Eastern and Western Bathing Resort at Almindsø

Architect: Sweco Architects
Location: Almindsø in Silkeborg, Denmark
Type: Learning and Leisure
Year: 2021
Photographs: Sweco Danmark  

Offering multiple activities for both winter bathers, summer guests, athletes and children, Eastern and Western Bathing Resort at Almindsø supports Silkeborg Municipality’s vison of being Denmark’s ‘outdoor capital’. The newly opened circular bathing facilities are designed to protect the area’s special environment and the lake’s biodiversity.

The following description is courtesy of the architects. Inspired by nature’s own shapes, the circle is the basic concept behind the design. The interconnected bridges – with integrated buildings and facilities – will invite bathers to use the bridges as they move around the resorts – this way, the buildings and bridges will have minimum impact on the surrounding environment. The new lake baths will be constructed from locally sourced wood and will be bolted together without the use of fittings.

Designed to protect environment and biodiversity

The two bathing resorts have been developed in close cooperation with the Danish Nature Agency. The permission for the project is given based on a thorough habitat impact assessment, which ensures that the new resorts can be built without consequences for the area’s animals, plants and aquatic environment. The environment surrounding Almindsø contains a high biodiversity – in example with several rare species of underwater plants.

“Eastern and Western Bathing Resort supports Silkeborg Municipalities vision of being Denmark’s outdoor capital, and offers various activities for both winter bathers, summer guests, athletes and children. For example, there will be a sauna at Eastern Bathing Resort, while both resorts will comprise changing facilities and safe, framed children’s pools,” says Peter Kristiansen, Creative Manager for Learning and Leisure at Sweco Architects.

Almindsø is part of an international protection area, which commits to maintaining a good water quality. Therefore, the behaviour of the guests must be controlled and limited in order to minimise the impact on the surrounding environment. The vision of the new bathing resort is to improve the bathing experience while creating facilities that ensure protection of the biodiversity in the lake and the surrounding nature.

Project Details

• Category: Learning and Leisure
• Lead Architects: Peter Kristiansen
• Location: Almindsø in Silkeborg, Denmark
• Client: Silkeborg Municipality
• Size: 2,000 m2
• Status: Completed in 2021
• Collaborators: Ministry of Environment and Food of Demark, Danish Nature Agency
• Photo Credits: Sweco Danmark       
• Office Website: https://www.sweco.dk/ydelser/sweco-architects/ 
• Social Media Accounts: https://www.instagram.com/swecoarchitectsdenmark/