Auer Weber

Courchevel, located in the middle of the French Alps, combines several municipalities and spans multiple plateaus of varying altitudes. The new aquatic centre is placed between Courchevel 1650 and Courchevel 1850. This platform, anked by two mountains, faces a valley on one side and an exceptional alpine panorama on the other.

In this unique geographical setting, the aquatic centre contains extensive facilities. From the beginning, the architectural choices were focused on perfecting the integration into the surroundings.

The roof of the project is guided by the topography and rises in order to accommo- date the room schedule in a semi-underground manner. Our choice to separate the two main areas, amusement and relaxation, over two oors, strengthens the idea of the transparency and uidity.

The building becomes a sculpture of spaces and light. The elevation of the roof allows the building to open up and communicate with the environment, while ooding the halls with natural light with its glazed façades. Natural openings in this malleable volume, green in Summer and snowed in during Winter, welcome the bathers with a view of the small stream of the river Gravelles.

Additional openings in the roof, of wood and glass, face the south to further brighten the interior with natural light. The movement of these in the building highlight the sensation of uidity between the spaces. The landscape and the building mesh into one.

The façade toward the road is livened by the climbing wall on o er inside the building. Below, the lobby opens toward the swimming pools, welcoming the guests. This universe contains a waterslide of over 30m, a looping wildwater slide of over 100m, a jumping basin, a lagoon, a swimming pool and an exterior pool.

In its centre, a paddling pool with a coloured shell welcomes the children. This pool is directly connected by a staircase to the well-being and relaxation area. Within this landscape, a lagoon extends to the exterior. Several features complete these baths: a dark cavern with a saltwater pool, a massage centre with a variety of services, and a cavity which opens towards saunas and Turkish baths, as well as a cold exterior pool.

Each location features a unique and specic design.

On the same level to the north, a snack bar opens towards the surf basin. On the last oor, a 300 seat restaurant o ers views of the mountains to the North. An underground connection from the aquatic centre to the parking provides the maximum degree of comfort to the guests.
Location

Client
Ville de Saint-Bon-Courchevel, France

Architects
Auer Weber, Munich, Germany
Moritz Auer (project partner), Prof. Stefan Niese (project associate), Eric Frisch (project manager), Till Kamp (deputy project manager), Marius Drahtler, Tina Kierzek, Anne Krins, Yvonne Meschederu, Michael Schnaubelt, Bertram Wruck, Julian Stein (intern)
Associate architect: Studio.Arch, Chambery, France

Consultants
Landscape architect: Axe Saône, Lyon, France
Structural concrete engineering: Tractebel Engineering, Lyon, France
Structural steel engineering: B+G Ingénierie, Paris, France
HVAC, swimming pools: Brière Réseaux, Annecy, France
Energy concept: Inddigo, Toulouse, France
Construction management: Arpège Ingénierie, Caluire, France
Cost calculation: Vanguard, Paris, France
Acouctical consultant: Acson, Lyon, France
Guidance system: Les murs ont des plumes Architectes, Valenciennes, France
Lighting: Ing. Bamberger, Pfünz, Germany

Dates
Construction start 2012, Completion 2015

Surfaces
17 000 m2 GFA ; 10 000 m2 NIA

Programme
Aquatic leisure centre with interior and exterior pools, artificial waves, climbing wall, restaurants and shops