At the edge of the Noorderpark stands a building that actually looks like it has always belonged there. That's no coincidence. Architects Branimir Medić and Pero Puljiz of de Architekten Cie deliberately designed the Noorderparkbad as a freestanding pavilion in the park, focusing on the transition between landscape and building. The result: an airy, sustainable complex that can accommodate up to a thousand visitors at once.
That the building won both the jury prize and the audience award of the Amsterdam Architecture Prize in 2016 says something. Not only were architects happy with it, but people in the neighborhood immediately saw what this bath meant for Noord. It is not a gray municipal box, but a place that invites you to come inside. The inspiration for the design comes partly from the historic bathhouse traditions of the past, when a bath also had a social function, not just a hygienic one.
Inside you will find a 25-meter pool for lane swimming, an instructional pool where swimming lessons are taught, and space for recreational swimming. An outdoor pool will also open during the season. Project team members H. Hammink, L. van Hoften and P. Kinfu worked with the architects to realize this complex, which became the successor to the Florapark pool. That pool had been operating in the neighborhood for forty years, but was in need of replacement. The Noorderparkbad takes over that role, but lifts it to a completely different level in terms of appearance and facilities.
The Noorderpark pool proves that municipal infrastructure doesn't have to be boring. Sometimes a swimming pool wins two architectural awards, and rightly so.
The Noorderpark itself is already a pleasant reason to come to this part of North. The pool is a logical complement to it. Whether you want to swim laps, have your child take swimming lessons, or just enjoy an afternoon of hassle-free swimming: it's all possible here. The Noorderparkbad proves that municipal infrastructure does not have to be boring. Sometimes a swimming pool wins two architectural awards, and rightly so.