3XN Architects Wins Competition for New Aquatic Center in Sweden

Hybrid between city and lake
The new aquatic centre in Sweden - named “Vågen” (The Wave) - seeks to unite the urban with the water both in form and in function. Located between the Tinnerbäck Lake and Linkoping, the new aquatic centre becomes a hybrid between the city and the lake.

Inspired by waves washing ashore
The architecture takes clues from waves washing ashore -   the curves of the building appears as if they were shaped by the forces of the ocean, eroded over timea transfusion of the nature adjacent to the site. The massing of the building follows the natural flow of the landscape, stepping down as it approaches the lake. The tower, housing the offices, is located in the northeastern corner to avoid shadowing on the lake front and the plaza in front of the building. On the exterior, the architecture references the wave with the large panoramic windows and the sinuous wooden façade opening up towards the lake.

A sustainable design from wood
The design is conceived almost entirely from wood. Wood is one of nature's most innovative and renewable building materials: the production has no waste products and it binds CO2. Wood has low weight, but is a very strong load-bearing structure relative to its lightness.

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