Outside the densely built centre of the city, this area of Kalamata is characterised by its many box-shaped buildings, most of which are used as warehouses. For the Kalamata Water Sport Center’s design we introduced the use of a new technology of ‘box building’ where the usual interior characteristics are far from limiting. Via the interplay between empty and solid forms, light and shadows, and successive layers of transparency, the severe geometry of the structure’s outline is transformed into a more ambiguous and playful environment.
Our goal here was to create a visual and physical experience which has a clear relationship to the water which defines the building’s function. The visitor’s route towards the interior pool includes a succession of open and enclosed spaces, defined by both light and shadow. As the visitor moves from the hermetically closed space of the changing rooms to the openness of the pools, the journey begins to resemble an immersive ritual.