Aqua Center
Architectural and design projects centered on aquatic facilities, water-based spaces, and water-related infrastructure.
Aqua centers encompass a range of built environments designed around water, from public swimming facilities and aquariums to water purification systems and aquatic-themed cultural spaces. These projects explore how architecture can integrate water as both functional infrastructure and experiential element.
The community examines aquatic centers through varied typologies: large-scale public facilities like swimming complexes and museums, specialized water treatment infrastructure, hospitality venues with aquatic themes, and innovative portable water solutions. Projects range from adaptive reuse of existing structures to new constructions that preserve natural landscapes while accommodating aquatic programs.
Popular projects
View all 10 projectsLatest journals
View all 12 journalsSTARH Wraps 420 Rooms in Flattened Arches to Preserve a Century-Old Pine Forest on the Black Sea
A 39,000-square-meter resort in Bulgaria's oldest seaside retreat defers to its inherited landscape of black pines and mineral springs.
AT Interiors Revives a 1960s Almaty Landmark as the Swan-Themed Aqqu Central Café
A 1,150-square-meter café in Almaty, Kazakhstan resurrects a Soviet-era pavilion with mosaic murals, coffered ceilings, and layered timber craft.
ANMA Converts the Site of a Former Orléans Jail into a Timber-Framed Aquatic Center
A low-slung aqualudic complex wrapped in timber and wild grasses replaces a decommissioned prison near the heart of Orléans, France.
Aqua Play: A Portable Bathroom That Fits Inside a Cabinet
A freestanding modular washroom stacks toilet, basin, and shower into one relocatable unit for space-starved urban apartments.