[Translate to Englisch:] Freemen's School Pool Innenansicht

[Translate to Englisch:] Freemen's School Pool Außenansicht

London (GB)

Freemen’s School pool

In 2014, the Freemen's School pool in London was destroyed by a fire. The aim was to rebuild the swimming pool of the public school, which is steeped in history, in a contemporary manner. The chosen building material, wood, glazed in white, creates a casual atmosphere.

WIEHAG was responsible for planning and implementing the supporting structure made of two-hinged frames. Hidden fasteners and the well-conceived coating technique are the highlights of a project that meets the highest aesthetic demands.

Task

Close to nature and with forest views

The steel structure of the swimming pool at Freemen's School in Surrey was destroyed by fire in 2014. The indoor swimming pool had to be rebuilt. Timber was selected as the building material for the supporting structure. A clear design language without visible steel parts or disturbing bracing diagonals was the architect's top priority. The aim was for large windows to maintain an unobstructed view of the surrounding park, and the diagonal roof ridge lends the building a special architectural character.

Implementation

Timber engineering in the indoor swimming pool

The support structure consists of two-hinged frames with flexurally rigid connections in the corners and at the ridge. The technical challenge was that, in addition to sufficient load-bearing capacity, the connection technology had to be invisible and the frames had to be quick and easy to assemble. This was solved by the patented mechanical WIEHAG frame corner that can be assembled on site purely by steel-steel connections.

All timber screws are screwed in and rod dowels tapped in at our factory, also helping to ensure the high visual quality. The corrosion resistance
requirements can be met by coating technology and by selecting suitable fasteners.

The cooperative partnership and competent collaboration between the architects and WIEHAG made this project successful.

[Translate to Englisch:] Freemen’s School Pool gelöst mit WIEHAG Rahmeneck

A harmonious combination

Freemen's School's new swimming pool is a welcoming retreat that engages with the mature woodland setting through the use of natural materials and colour schemes.

— Adam Cossey, partner of Hawkins\Brown Architecture